Lockheed Martin to Launch Geoeye-2 on Atlas 5 Rocket

[Satellite TODAY 09-09-10] GeoEye has contracted Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services to launch the GeoEye-2 Earth-imaging satellite on an Atlas 5 rocket, Lockheed Martin announced Sept 8.
    Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, which markets the Atlas 5 to commercial customers, will launch GeoEye-2 into a sun-synchronous orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. in late 2012. GeoEye also awarded Lockheed Martin a contract in March to build GeoEye-2.
    GeoEye plans to have the satellite operating by early 2013 to support a 10-year, $3.8-billion contract it signed with the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in August for increased commercial satellite-imaging capacity.
    In a statement, GeoEye COO Bill Schuster said his company chose Lockheed Martin to GeoEye-2, “because of its 50-year heritage in designing, manufacturing and launching payloads into the perfect orbit.”
    Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.