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Atlas V Team Begins Launch Preparations for AV-003
MEETS MILESTONES FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONFIGURATION

Lockheed Martin press release

CAPE CANAVERAL Air Force Station, Fla., May 29, 2003 - Lockheed
Martin's Atlas team has begun preparing the next Atlas V rocket for
its scheduled launch of the Rainbow satellite in July. AV-003 is
distinguished visually by a 5-meter diameter payload fairing, which
encloses the satellite, and two Aerojet strap-on solid rocket
boosters (SRBs) to augment liftoff thrust and vehicle performance.

AV-003 completed the initial steps toward launch with
booster-on-stand (BOS) activity May 21, during which the launch team
erected the Atlas booster in the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF).
Booster on stand was followed by attachment of the two SRBs May
23-24. The vehicle had already completed initial power-on testing in
the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) while launch
operations were underway for AV-002, which successfully launched the
Hellas-Sat satellite May 13. 

"Days after launching AV-002 we were ready to put the next Atlas V on
the pad, which shows the flexibility of our launch facilities as well
as our ability to conduct simultaneous operations at the ASOC and the
pad. With only two launches under our belts, we have achieved our
advertised flow," said Adrian Laffitte, Lockheed Martin's director of
Atlas programs at Cape Canaveral.

Another impressive milestone was achieved during the AV-002 mission.
For the first time in the U.S. launch industry, a space launch
vehicle was rolled out to the pad and launched within 12 hours. The
launch team further demonstrated the ability to quickly troubleshoot
an issue during the first day's countdown, which required the vehicle
to be rolled back to the Vertical Integration Facility that
afternoon. A monitoring unit on the vehicle was replaced, and AV-002
was rolled out to the pad the next morning and launched successfully
within 12 hours. 

"This is another remarkable demonstration of how talented and
experienced this launch team is and how efficient the Atlas V system
has proven to be," added Laffitte.

The Atlas V AV-003 vehicle scheduled for launch in July will use two
solid rocket boosters built by Aerojet of Sacramento, Calif., each of
which is 67 feet in length. As many as five solid rocket boosters can
be used on the Atlas V to meet mission performance requirements, with
each SRB providing up to approximately 400,000 pounds of thrust.
Additionally, the 5-meter fairing, a flight-proven design built by
Contraves Space of Zurich, Switzerland, will enclose the Centaur
upper stage and the Rainbow satellite. Last December, a practice
countdown for AV-002 used a 5-meter fairing to validate the
interfaces with launch facilities at Complex 41. The payload fairing
flight hardware arrived at Cape Canaveral May 15 and is being
processed for encapsulation activities to support the scheduled
launch in July.

The next processing milestone for AV-003 will be the launch countdown
wet dress rehearsal scheduled for June 23, which will be the final
major test prior to launch.

Lockheed Martin Space & Strategic Missiles is a business unit of
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Company is one of the major operating units of Lockheed Martin
Corporation. Space Systems designs, develops, tests, manufactures and
operates a variety of advanced technology systems for military, civil
and commercial customers. Chief products include a full-range of
space launch systems, including heavy-lift capability, ground
systems, remote sensing and communications satellites for commercial
and government customers, advanced space observatories and
interplanetary spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and missile
defense systems.

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