[Satellite TODAY 02-16-11] The U.S. Air Force is in negotiations with Lockheed Martin to minimize the financial impact of a main engine failure that prevented the AEHF 1 satellite from reaching its intended orbit in August, according to a Feb. 15 report by Reuters.
    The report said that U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. John Hyten, director of space programs for the Air Force, believes the financial impact of the anomaly would be "significant" and that the satellite will not reach its proper orbit until Lockheed’s 2011 fourth quarter.
    "Once [AEHF 1] reaches the correct orbit, the satellite still faces a 4-month check-out phase. … We want to be sure the satellite actually works once it reaches the right orbit before reaching an agreement with Lockheed," said Hyten.
    Lockheed Martin declined to comment on the report.
    The AEHF 1 spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman under a contract program worth about $6.5 billion, is the first of a series of national security communications satellites that will replace the U.S. military’s Milstar satellites. The satellites aim to provide secure communication links between military commanders and troops on the battlefield that are jam- and intercept-resistant. The satellites support real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.
    Lockheed is building two more AEHF satellites, which are expected to launch in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The Air Force said it expects to order more AEHF satellites by the end of this year. The United Launch Alliance will launch both the AEHF 2 and AEHF 3 satellites on the Atlas 5 launch vehicle.