Dépêches

ORBCOMM and SpaceX Set Plans to Launch Satellites on Next Falcon 9 Launch

Dépèche transmise le 14 mars 2011 par Business Wire

FORT LEE, N.J. & HAWTHORNE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ORBCOMM Inc. (Nasdaq: ORBC) and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) today announced plans to carry the first two ORBCOMM next-generation OG2 satellites to orbit on the next Falcon 9 launch this year.

Falcon 9 is a two-stage launch vehicle powered by liquid oxygen and rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) capable of delivering 10,450 kg (23,050 lb) to low-Earth orbit and 4,540 kg (10,000 lb) to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). The nine Merlin engines on the first stage generate more than one million pounds of thrust at liftoff and allow the launch vehicle to perform as planned even with one or two of the engines out. Falcon 9 was designed from the ground up by SpaceX for the reliable and cost-efficient transport of satellites to low Earth orbit and GTO as well as for sending SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to orbiting destinations such as the International Space Station.

The ORBCOMM OG2 satellites are being manufactured by an industry team led by Sierra Nevada Corp and Boeing’s Argon ST subsidiary. A total of 18 ORBCOMM next-generation OG2 satellites are currently in production. ORBCOMM OG2 satellites will offer enhanced ORBCOMM messaging capabilities, increased capacity, and automatic identification systems (AIS) service. The planned Falcon 9 launch will place ORBCOMM’s first two OG2 satellites into a 52° inclined 350 by 750 km insertion orbit. The satellites’ onboard propulsion systems will then be used to circulize the orbit at 750 km.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch site is located at Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. More information on the launch will be provided at www.SpaceX.com.

About ORBCOMM Inc.

ORBCOMM is a leading global satellite data communications company, focused on Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications. Its customers include Caterpillar Inc., Doosan Infracore America, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Asset Intelligence a division of I.D. Systems, Inc., Komatsu Ltd., Manitowoc Crane Companies, Inc., and Volvo Construction Equipment among other industry leaders. By means of a global network of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites and accompanying ground infrastructure, ORBCOMM’s low-cost and reliable two-way data communication services track, monitor and control mobile and fixed assets in four core markets: commercial transportation; heavy equipment; industrial fixed assets; and marine/homeland security. ORBCOMM based products are installed on trucks, containers, marine vessels, locomotives, backhoes, pipelines, oil wells, utility meters, storage tanks and other assets. ORBCOMM is headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey and has its network control center in Dulles, Virginia. For more information, visit www.orbcomm.com.

About SpaceX

SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles and spacecraft that is increasing the reliability and performance of space transportation, while ultimately reducing costs by a factor of ten. With the Falcon rockets, SpaceX has a diverse manifest of launches to deliver commercial and government satellites to orbit. After the Space Shuttle retires, the Falcon 9 and SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will start carrying cargo, including live plants and animals, to and from the International Space Station for NASA. Falcon 9 and Dragon were developed to one day carry astronauts.

Founded in 2002, SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Valor Equity Partners. The company has over 1,250 employees in California, Texas and Florida. For more information, and to watch the video of the Falcon 9 and Dragon launches, visit the SpaceX website at SpaceX.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to plans, objectives and expectations for future events for ORBCOMM and SpaceX and include statements about their expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements, including those concerning their respective expectations, are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, projected, expected or implied by the forward-looking statements, some of which are beyond their respective control, that may cause their respective actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For ORBCOMM these risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: the impact of global recession and continued worldwide credit and capital constraints; substantial losses we have incurred and expect to continue to incur; demand for and market acceptance of its products and services and the applications developed by its resellers; loss or decline or slowdown in the growth in business from Asset Intelligence, a subsidiary of I.D. Systems, Inc. (“AI”) (formerly a division of General Electric Company (“GE” or “General Electric”)), other value-added resellers or VARs and international value-added resellers or IVARs; loss or decline or slowdown in growth in business of any of the specific industry sectors ORBCOMM serves, such as transportation, heavy equipment, fixed assets and maritime; litigation proceedings; technological changes, pricing pressures and other competitive factors; the inability of its international resellers to develop markets outside the United States; market acceptance and success of its Automatic Identification System (“AIS”) business; the inability to provide AIS service due to the in-orbit satellite failure of the remaining quick launch satellite; satellite launch and construction delays and cost overruns of ORBCOMM’s next-generation satellites; in-orbit satellite failures or reduced performance of its existing satellites; the failure of its system or reductions in levels of service due to technological malfunctions or deficiencies or other events; ORBCOMM’s inability to renew or expand its satellite constellation, or to obtain any requisite prior governmental approval for any regulatory authorization modification that may be required due to changed circumstances relating to the renewal or expansion of the ORBCOMM satellite constellation; political, legal regulatory, government administrative and economic conditions and developments in the United States and other countries and territories in which it operates; and changes in ORBCOMM’s business strategy, and the other risks described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Unless required by law, ORBCOMM undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more detail on these and other risks, please see ORBCOMM’s “Risk Factors” section in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009.