EchoStar V Launch Delayed; Lockheed Martin Scrubs Atlas Launch.CAPE CANAVERAL Cape Canaveral (kənăv`ərəl), low, sandy promontory extending E into the Atlantic Ocean from a barrier island, E Fla., separated from Merritt Island by the Banana River, a lagoon; named (1963) Cape Kennedy in memory of President John , Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 12, 1999-- Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. and EchoStar Communications Corporation EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is the parent company of DISH Network and the maintainer of the satellite fleet that provides the signal that DISH Network markets. (Nasdaq:DISH, DISHP) announced this afternoon that it will postpone tomorrow morning's Atlas launch carrying the EchoStar V communications satellite communications satellite artificial satellite that functions as part of a global radio-communications network. Echo 1, the first communications satellite, launched in 1960, was an instrumented inflatable sphere that passively reflected radio signals back to to allow engineers time to analyze an avionics unit that failed factory testing over the weekend. The unit, a Remote Control Unit (RCU RCU Read Copy Update RCU Remote Control Unit RCU Regional Coordinating Unit RCU Radio Control Unit RCU Remote Concentrator Unit RCU Regional Cadet Unit (Australia) RCU Radio Channel Unit RCU Rate Construction Unit ), is part of the Atlas launch vehicle control system. None of the avionics systems on the launch vehicle that was being readied for tomorrow's launch exhibited problems; however, it is standard procedure to thoroughly check out components that fail during production acceptance testing (programming) acceptance testing - Formal testing conducted to determine whether a system satisfies its acceptance criteria and thus whether the customer should accept the system. when they are identical or similar to those components already installed on the launch vehicle. The launch of EchoStar V on AC-155 will be rescheduled based on the avionics unit being cleared, improving weather conditions and range availability at Cape Canaveral. The launch operation forecast for today indicated a strong probability that a HURCON HURCON Hurricane Condition 3 condition would be called tomorrow morning, which would require securing the launch pad to prepare for severe weather effects from the hurricane. The delay will not affect DISH Network's industry leading service of over 350 channels. When launched to its position at 110 degrees West Longitude, EchoStar V will be a turning point in television history as it adds 150 more channels to the existing 350 channels available on EchoStar's DISH Network See DBS. (TM) to become the first TV provider in the nation to offer 500 channels using a single small dish pointed at both the 110 degree W.L. and the 119 degree W.L. orbital slots. EchoStar V was built by Space Systems/Loral of Palo Alto, Calif., based on its FS 1300 design. Launch operations are provided by Lockheed Martin Astronautics astronautics: see space science. Astronautics Flash Gordon space-traveling hero. [Am. Comics and Cin.: Halliwell] From the Earth to the Moon at its Cape Canaveral Air Station Complex 36 facility. Astronautics is one of the operating elements of the corporation's Space and Strategic Missiles Sector headquartered in Bethesda, Md. Mission management is provided by International Launch Services International Launch Services (or ILS) was formed in 1995 as a private spaceflight partnership between the United States defense contractor Lockheed Martin (LM) (LM sold their part later) and the Russian firms Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and RSC , from San Diego, Calif., which formed in 1995 to jointly market launch services on Atlas and the Russian-built Proton launch vehicles. EchoStar Communications Corp., includes three interrelated in·ter·re·late tr. & intr.v. in·ter·re·lat·ed, in·ter·re·lat·ing, in·ter·re·lates To place in or come into mutual relationship. in business units: -0-
-- DISH Network(TM) is EchoStar's state-of-the-art DBS system that
will soon offer customers over 500 channels of digital video and
CD-quality audio programming, fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware
and installation. DISH Network was rated number one in customer
satisfaction in the pay TV industry by the J.D. Power and
Associates 1999 Cable/Satellite TV Customer Satisfaction Study.
-- EchoStar Technologies Corporation designs, manufactures and
distributes DBS set-top boxes, antennas and other digital
equipment for the DISH Network and various international
customers that include ExpressVu Canada and Telefonica's Via
Digital system in Spain. ETC provides construction, oversight and
project integration services for customers internationally. ETC
also oversees EchoStar Data Networks Corporation in Atlanta, a
leading supplier of MediaStream(R) technology for distributing
Internet content over satellite networks.
-- Satellite Services provides the delivery of video, audio and data
services to business television customers and other satellite
users. These services include satellite uplink, satellite
transponder space usage and other services. Satellite Services
also administers SKY VISTA, a direct broadcast satellite service
offering popular digital satellite television programming to
viewers in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories
in the Caribbean.
-0- DISH Network currently serves 2.8 million customers and is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. DISH Network is located on the Internet at www.dishnetwork.com. |
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