LM 400 Technology Demonstration Satellite Prepares for Launch
The Launch
No earlier than Saturday, March 15, Lockheed Martin expects to launch its self-funded LM 400 technology demonstration satellite to orbit on Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha FLTA006 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The 52-minute launch window is expected to open at 6:25 a.m. PST. Firefly will also host a livestream of the launch beginning approximately 30 minutes before liftoff.
A Space-Based Proof of Concept
Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 technology demonstration satellite is the latest in a series of self-funded missions the company has developed to demonstrate the maturity of new technology on orbit and reduce risk for the company’s customers.
These demonstrations are designed to prove out new technologies and on-orbit capabilities. We have already learned so much from our previous demonstration missions, including from spacecraft design and development, as well as the pathfinding for our launch processes. The learning continues when the hardware and software start talking to us from orbit.
“We’ve heard our customers’ demand for greater resiliency and proliferated space architectures to complete their missions. Our investment in this technology demonstration is our way to show the technical and manufacturing readiness of our multi-orbit, multi-mission LM 400 platform,” said Jeff Schrader, vice president of Strategy & Business Development for Lockheed Martin Space.
As a platform, Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 is the company’s flexible mid-size bus, capable of serving military, commercial or civil customers. The space vehicle can be tailored for a variety of missions and high power payloads, including remote sensing, communications, imaging and radar and is ideal for solo or constellation missions at Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).
Invaluable Pathfinding
Led by Lockheed Martin’s Ignite organization, the company’s “Innovation Engine,” the LM 400 technology demonstration satellite is serving as a key pathfinder for accelerated delivery of technology.
The concept of pathfinding is a process that involves putting a prototype through every stage of production and on-orbit operation.
"Pathfinding is a crucial part of our technology and product lifecycles," said Tahllee Baynard, vice president of Ignite. "By taking LM 400 through every stage of production and processing, we could identify potential issues early on and make adjustments as needed. This reduces the risk for our customers and ensures a smooth and efficient production line, and that our final product meets our customers’ exacting standards."
Pathfinding results for the LM 400 so far include:
Rapid satellite assembly and test at Lockheed Martin’s Gateway Center, a state-of-the-art, multi-level security satellite production facility.
The first LM 400 to be processed at Lockheed Martin’s Astrotech Space Operations processing facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The satellite arrived at Astrotech to begin processing on March 1.
The first LM 400 to be launched under Lockheed Martin’s Multi-Launch Service Agreement with Firefly Aerospace.
Reuse of Lockheed Martin’s COSMIC cloud-enabled, multi-mission operations center, which uses our common suite of mission management and Command & Control products
Integration of commercial ground entry point (KSAT) into Lockheed Martin’s COSMIC capability.
On-Orbit Demonstrations
Following successful orbit insertion by Firefly Aerospace, the satellite will deploy into Low Earth Orbit where, over the course of its roughly 30-day on-orbit mission, it will showcase initialization, day-in-the-life, and controlled end-of-life de-orbit operations. Testing of Lockheed Martin’s new SmartSat™ software architecture will be included in day-in-the-life operations.
“We’re not just talking about innovation. We’re delivering it,” Schrader added. “We’re excited for this opportunity to prove out the technology behind our LM 400 bus on orbit. Instead of just telling our customers, we’re showing them the ways we can deliver capabilities to our warfighters with greater urgency.”