Press Releases

Telesat to support investigation of integrating commercial space network with SDA government space network

ARLINGTON, VA, October 20, 2020 – Telesat U.S. Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of leading global satellite operator Telesat, is now part of the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) team which was recently awarded the Space Transport Layer Tranche 0 contract by the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA).  The Lockheed Martin-led team will provide on-orbit delivery of 10 space vehicles with optical inter-satellite links (OISLs), contributing to a total of 20 satellites in Tranche 0. As part of this team, Telesat will support a commercial interoperability exercise by working with the Lockheed Martin team to demonstrate interoperability between the OISLs of the SDA’s Transport Layer satellites and those of Telesat’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation. The OISLs native to Telesat LEO will be compatible with the SDA’s OISL standard for an assured, resilient and secure network. 

OISL technology is the enabler of vastly improved network security, resilience and performance in any space communications network. As a commercial OISL leader, Telesat will work with Lockheed Martin to explore interoperability of the SDA Space Transport Layer Tranche 0 satellites with the Telesat LEO network.  

“Lockheed Martin took a visionary approach to their SDA Transport Layer team, incorporating commercial space solutions to provide the U.S. government greater communications system resiliency and flexibility.  We’re proud to bring Telesat’s system engineering expertise to the team,” said Don Brown, General Manager of Government Services at Telesat. “With the Telesat LEO advanced space architecture, governments worldwide can leverage commercial innovations. This approach, underpinned by Telesat’s OISL expertise, will enable space network performance on par with terrestrial networks, helping Lockheed Martin and the SDA demonstrate how interoperability with the commercial space networks can effectively drive better results for government connectivity.”

As part of the project, Telesat will conduct hardware and software testing on their LEO emulator at Telesat’s U.S. Government facility.

This project comes on the heels of numerous government partnerships for Telesat, including exploring the future of space-based government communications with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s (DARPA) Blackjack program and the U.S. Space Force, Space and Missile Systems Center’s (SMC) CASINO program. Through these partnerships, Telesat continues to showcase the possibilities of Telesat LEO in supporting government efforts and meeting the U.S. Government’s unique unilateral requirements, including offering true global connectivity throughout the polar regions.

About Telesat

Backed by a legacy of engineering excellence, reliability and industry-leading customer service, Telesat has grown to be one of the largest and most successful global satellite operators. Telesat works collaboratively with its customers to deliver critical connectivity solutions that tackle the world’s most complex communications challenges, providing powerful advantages that improve their operations and drive growth. Telesat LEO, our Low Earth Orbit network will revolutionize global broadband connectivity by delivering a combination of high capacity, security, resiliency and affordability with ultra-low latency and fiber-like speeds.

Privately held and headquartered in Ottawa, Canada with offices and facilities around the world, Telesat’s principal shareholders are Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space & Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LORL). For more information, visit www.telesat.com.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 110,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com.

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Media contacts:                                                            

Lynette Simmons
+1 613 748 8729

Lockheed Martin
Chris Pettigrew, +1 720-607-9445;
Christopher.w.pettigrew@lmco.com

Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor

This news release contains statements that are not based on historical fact and are ”forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words “will”, “can”, or other variations of these words or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Detailed information about some of the known risks and uncertainties is included in the “Risk Factors” sections of Telesat Canada’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and in Telesat Canada’s Quarterly Report on Form 6-K for the quarters ending March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020, all of which can be obtained from the SEC website.

Known risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: risks associated with operating satellites and providing satellite services, including satellite construction or launch delays, launch failures, in-orbit failures or impaired satellite performance, the impact of  COVID-19  on Telesat’s business and the economic environment, the ability to successfully deploy an advanced global LEO satellite constellation, the availability of government and/or other funding for the LEO satellite constellation, the receipt of proceeds in relation to the re-allocation of C-band spectrum, volatility in exchange rates, the ability to expand our existing satellite utilization and risks associated with domestic and foreign government regulation. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. The information contained in this news release reflects Telesat’s beliefs, assumptions, intentions, plans and expectations as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, Telesat disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise the information herein.