The planned demonstration mission in low Earth orbit, carrying a communications payload, comes after a three-year development period marked by supply chain disruptions.
Lockheed Martin has announced that its new mid-size satellite platform, LM 400, will make its orbital debut next year aboard a Firefly Aerospace rocket. The LM 400 satellite bus represents Lockheeds bid to capture an optimal position in the satellite market: missions requiring more power and payload capacity than small satellites can provide, but not demanding the complexity of traditional large satellites.
The planned demonstration mission in low Earth orbit, carrying a communications payload, comes after a three-year development period marked by supply chain disruptions that delayed the platforms original 2023 launch target. The programme also faced a setback when its initial launch provider, ABL Space, struggled to get its launch vehicle operational, prompting Lockheed to pivot to Fireflys Alpha rocket under a new multi-launch agreement. The satellites will be manufactured at Lockheeds facilities in Denver, Colorado.
This announcement comes on the heels of Lockheed Martins recent acquisition of small-satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital.
