[Satellite TODAY 02-10-11] Lockheed Martin Space Systems has won a $339.6 million contract from the U.S. Navy to build the fifth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) ultra-high frequency communications satellite, the company announced.
    The new MUOS satellite will feature payloads designed by both Boeing and Lockheed Martin that aim to significantly increase throughput. Lockheed is currently undergoing a series of environmental tests on the first MUOS spacecraft, scheduled for delivery this summer. Lockheed said the satellite is almost two years behind schedule due to difficulties with integrating a payload with the spacecraft platform.
    Lockheed Martin is currently building the second MUOS satellite, scheduled for delivery in 2012, and will soon integrate the communications payloads with the satellite’s propulsion core.
MUOS will replace the Navy’s aging Ultra High Frequency Follow-On (UFO) constellation and provide narrowband coverage to U.S. and Australian military forces as the result of a 2010 agreement between the two countries.