SUNNYVALE, CA, 23-OCT-01 -- In a ceremony at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Missiles & Space Operations was presented with the 2001 Goddard Excellence Award for Contractors in the Large Business Product category. At its 17th Annual Quality Symposium on October 10th, Goddard Center Director Al Diaz also presented Excellence Awards to Composite Optics, Inc. (COI) of San Diego in the Small Business Product category. SGT, Inc. of Greenbelt, Maryland was picked in the category of Small Business Service. The three companies were chosen for maintaining three years of continuous quality improvement and for making substantial contributions to the mission of Goddard. COI and SGT are, incidentally, subcontractors to Missiles & Space on the NGST Phase 2 proposal that was also submitted to Goddard on October 10th.

Maryland Senator Paul S. Sarbanes gave the Keynote Address at the Annual Quality Symposium. Senator Sarbanes praised Goddard for being a frontrunner among government installations in promoting quality improvement among its contractors.

Mr. Diaz lauded the three winning contractors for their outstanding level of mission success that was achieved through superior quality improvement processes that resulted in a high level of customer satisfaction.

Mission success, a commitment to continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction are central tenets of our business, said Jeff Harris, president of Missiles & Space Operations. We are indeed honored that these qualities have been recognized by the Goddard Space Flight Center, one of our most important partners.

To be considered for the award, applicants are asked to provide evidence of contract performance and customer satisfaction, meeting schedules, controlling costs, quality and productivity improvements, management commitment to continuous improvement, human resource utilization and strategic planning and long term research and development.

The three winners of the Goddard award will automatically be sent forward to compete for the George M. Low Award, which is NASA's Quality and Excellence Award. In addition, one of the previous year's Goddard Contractor Excellence Award applicants - Mantech International, Inc., Greenbelt -- will be forwarded for consideration in the category Large Business Services for the Low Award, the most prestigious award for quality given by NASA to its contractors.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, headquartered in Denver, Colo., is one of the major operating units of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a variety of advanced technology systems for civil, military and commercial customers. Chief products include a full-range of space launch systems, including heavy-lift capability, ground systems, remote sensing and communications satellites for commercial and government customers, advanced space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and missile defense systems.