Lockheed Martin Dewells in Beijing

The well-known aerospace giant Lockheed Martin opened and office in Beijing April 12, 1996, with Thomas J. Dwyer being the Chief Representative. This move suggests that Lockheed is getting aggressive in China, a country with great potential market. Russell T. McFall, President of Lockheed Martin Astrc Space Commercial, presided over the ceremony, which was attended by Bai Baier, Vice President of China Aerospace Corporation(CASC), and other space officials in China.

Before the ceremony, McFall had met with Bai at the headquarters of CASC, focusing on establishing a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership. Both acknowledged the need to improve and continue the positive existing relationship, evidenced by the successful launches of Lockheed Martin-built AsiaSat-2 and EchoStar-1 atop Long March 2E and the purchase of two Lockheed Martin A2100 spacecraft by China Orient Telecommunications Satellite Coo. To this end, both sides reviewed the possibilities for cooperation in the following areas:

1. Lockheed's global telecommunications business project called AstroLink. The spacecraft works in the Ka band, transmitting wide band data. CASC' s possible role could either be the hardware equipment supplier or be the regional manager for the project. A Lockheed team is to be dispatched in the near future to discuss with the Chinese counterparts in detail in this matter.
2. Communications satellite. After acquiring 95% of Loral Corporation, Lockheed is undergoing a consolidation stage, which results in some extra equipment such as test facilities and vibration table. Therefore, CASC could send its people to be trained at Lockheed's facilities, while working with Lockheed on one or two communications satellites at their facilities using the extra equipment. In this way Lockheed would gradually transfer the equipment and technology to CASC so that eventually CASC would be able to build the fifth and the sixth such satellites in China.
3. Telecommunications hardware. Both could share the expertise and products in this field in such a way as joint manufacture of the set-top boxes for TV users and Lockheed's purchase of CASC-made satellite components--Ni-Cd battery, for example.
4. Launch service. Lockheed believed that China would overcome the difficulties with the Long March 3B failure and showed its confidence in the Chinese launch vehicles by discussing with the Great Wall Corp. on a bulk buy of multiple Long March launchers in 1998. Lockheed would also join the Great Wall Corp. working with the insurance companies to achieve competitive insurance. Back in the States Lockheed has done a substantial amount of work in lobbying the U.S. Government to issue export licenses for commercial satellites. And recently the paperwork for license issue has been transferred from the State Department to the Commerce Department, which suggests a trend of less hindrance from the Government in such issues.
5. RadarSat for China. With Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) as its principal payload, the satellite would serve the disaster-mitigation purpose for China plagued with constant natural disasters exemplified by floods, droughts, forest fires, earthquakes and insects.
6. Meteorological satellite. China is developing a polar-orbit MetSat called FY-1, slated for launch around the turn of 1996 and 1997 and a subsequent FY-2, a GEO satellite due for launch a year later.
7. Direct broadcasting satellite(DBS). Lockheed enjoys the rich experience of developing a Direct-to-Home (DTH) system and building a direct broadcasting satellite EchoStar-1. And China is committed to setting up its own DBS system in the future, particularly to serve the need of entertainment and education for people in remote areas; hence there may be opportunities for Lockheed and CASC working together.

At this point Bai and McFall have agreed that both would be happy enough if some of the above items could be identified for cooperation. And Bai assured McFall that Lockheed Martin remains one of the most important candidates for CASC to select the partner to work with in space.

At the meeting Bai Baier was accompanied by Zhang Xinxia, Chief Economist of CASC, and officials form relevant departments of CASC.