Press Releases
Telesat, Lockheed Martin team up to make air traffic control safer
Satellite technology means more precise guidance for carriers at thousands of airports, airstrips
OTTAWA, ON, JULY 30, 2003 - Telesat announced today that it has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin Corporation for a satellite-based system to make air traffic control safer, more reliable and more accurate than ever before.
Under the agreement, Telesat will operate a satellite payload for a GPS-based navigation and landing system on its Anik F1R satellite, which will launch in 2005. The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) will provide precision guidance to aircraft at thousands of airports and airstrips where there is no such capability today. The system improves GPS signal accuracy from 10 meters to just 1.5 meters.
“At Telesat, we’re pleased about working with Lockheed Martin to improve the safety, reliability and accuracy of North America’s air traffic control systems,” said Larry Boisvert, Telesat’s president and CEO. “Once again, Telesat and Lockheed Martin are teaming up to demonstrate how satellite technology can improve the essential services North Americans use every day.”
The transition to WAAS and the enhancements to North American air traffic control systems are part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Geostationary Communications and Control Segment (GCCS) program. Under the program, Lockheed Martin and other partners are providing ground stations and broadcast services that will support satellite navigation for aviation use.
About Telesat
Telesat is a pioneer in satellite operations and systems management. The company made history in 1972 with the launch of the first domestic commercial communications satellite in geostationary orbit. Today, Telesat competes with other top international satellite fleets in providing telecommunications and broadcasting services throughout the Americas. Telesat is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BCE Inc., Canada's leading communications company.About Lockheed Martin (www.lockheedmartin.com)
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics, and technology services.
For more information:
Marilynn Wright
Telesat
(613) 748-0123
m.wright@telesat.ca
Thad S. Madden Jr.
Lockheed Martin
(301) 640-3426
thad.madden@lmco.com
Dan Tisch (media only)
Argyle Rowland Communications
(416) 968-7311 ext. 223
