The U.S. Air Force honored the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) Life Extension Team with the 2006 Chief of Staff Team Excellence Award for its efforts in developing innovative methods for estimating and maximizing the fuel onboard the satellite constellation, Lockheed Martin announced Oct. 19.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the constellation, which provides secure voice and high-data rate communications to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The DSCS 3 satellites have a design life of 10 years, but the team’s ability to better estimate onboard fuel, combined with new techniques for maximizing fuel usage, allows the DSCS satellites to exceed that design life by several years, Lockheed Martin said.