LOCKHEED MARTIN

Edward H. Bock

Vice President & Program Director

Atlas Programs

Atlas Launch

2 February 1998

Dear Critical Suppler:

On 27 February 1998, Atlas/Centaur 151 is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Station. Its mission is to insert INTELSAT 806 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit destined for a permanent position over the Atlantic ocean twenty-two thousand miles above the earth. With your help, this launch will mark the 37th consecutive mission success of Atlas/Centaur launches over a four plus year period.

As the Atlas Program Director, I am proud to share this impressive mission success story with the hundreds of critical component suppliers that make up the Atlas booster and Centaur upperstage vehicles. Without your “quality parts” this success story could be very different for all of us! In an extremely competitive launch business, our collective systems’ reliability maintains a positive competitive edge -- for this I personally thank you! It could not be done without you and your suppliers.

The best way to appreciate the collective effort of the supplier force is to personally witness an actual launch. You are always welcome to witness on our launches from Cape Canaveral. Our next launch is scheduled for February 27, which will also be available via satellite on Ku Band. Please coordinate any desired visit to the launch site with your LMA representative or my program management director, Bob Reynolds.

With an expendable launch vehicle, each flight is a first time event. Every component is flying for its first and only time, and must work for the mission to be successful. Please join me in the effort to make each future Atlas better than the last. Our future business depends on it!

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Edward H. Bock

Vice President and Program Director

Atlas Programs

Space Launch Systems

David T. Parsons

Director, Acquisition Management

Space Launch Systems