[Satellite TODAY 04-19-11] Thales Alenia Space awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to develop, test and support integration of payload application software for the Iridium Next satellite constellation, Thales announced April 18.
    Acting as prime manufacturing contractor for Iridium, Thales Alenia Space President and CEO Reynald Seznec said Lockheed Martin was awarded the subcontract because the company, "offered the lowest-risk and most comprehensive solution for the payload application software needed to meet the challenging requirements."
    The first Iridium Next satellites are expected to launch in 2015.
    "We bring extensive full life-cycle experience in spacecraft, ground systems and software development to provide Thales Alenia an outstanding overall software solution. Our team has a thorough understanding of the Iridium Next system and the payload application software that will provide the important foundation for both backward compatible legacy services as well as promising new services in the near-term and over the life of the new constellation," Lockheed Martin Information Systems Vice President Robert Kramer said in a statement.
    Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.