Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stock-Based Compensation [Abstract]

Schedule Of Assumptions Used To Compute Fair Value Of Stock Options Grant To Chief Executive Officer

		September 30,
	Year Ended December 31,
	2009
Risk — free interest rate		2.72	%
Expected life (years)		4.67
Estimated volatility		64.77	%
Expected dividends		None
Weighted average grant date fair value	$	11.39

Schedule Of Stock Option Activity

		September 30,			September 30,		September 30,		September 30,
	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term		Aggregate Intrinsic Value (In thousands)
Outstanding at January 1, 2011		1,134,915		$	28.46		1.3 years	$	54,524
Granted		—		$	—
Exercised		(795,915	)	$	27.43
Forfeited		—		$	—
Outstanding at December 31, 2011		339,000		$	30.86		1.5 years	$	11,533
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2011		339,000		$	30.86		1.5 years	$	11,533
Exercisable at December 31, 2011		307,750		$	30.44		1.4 years	$	10,599

Schedule Of Non-Vested Restricted Stock Activity

		September 30,			September 30,
	Shares			Weighted Average Grant- Date Fair Value
Non-vested restricted stock at January 1, 2011		6,000		$	33.58
Granted		—		$	—
Vested		(2,000	)	$	33.58
Forfeited		—		$	—
Non-vested restricted stock at December 31, 2011		4,000		$	33.58

Schedule Of Assumptions Used To Calculate Fair Value Of Restricted Stock Units

		September 30,
	Year Ended December 31,
	2009
Risk — free interest rate		1.581	%
Estimated volatility		59.83	%
Expected dividends		None
Weighted average grant date fair value	$	8.51

Schedule Of Non-Vested Restricted Stock Units Activity

		September 30,			September 30,
	Shares			Weighted Average Grant- Date Fair Value
Non-vested RSUs at January 1, 2011		70,811		$	18.25
Granted		15,000		$	64.11
Vested		(61,211	)	$	15.88
Forfeited		—		$	—
Non-vested RSUs at December 31, 2011		24,600		$	52.11

Schedule Of Grants And Vesting For SS/L Phantom SAR's

		September 30,		September 30,			September 30,			September 30,			September 30,			September 30,
			Vesting Date – March 18,
Grant Date	SARs granted		2010			2011			2012			2013			2014
June-2009		225,000		50	%		25	%		25	%		—			—
Oct-2009		217,500		50	%		25	%		25	%		—			—
Oct-2009		65,000		25	%		25	%		25	%		25	%		—
Dec-2009		32,500		50	%		25	%		25	%		—			—
May-2010		175,000		—			25	%		25	%		25	%		25	%

Schedule Of Non-Vested SS/L Phantom SAR Activity

		September 30,			September 30,
	Shares			Weighted Average Grant- Date Fair Value
Non-vested SS/L Phantom SARs at January 1, 2011		461,250		$	5.17
Granted		—			—
Vested		(178,750	)		5.60
Forfeited		(7,500	)		9.08
Non-vested SS/L Phantom SARs at December 31, 2011		275,000		$	4.78

Schedule Of Stock Incentive Plan Activity

		September 30,		September 30,		September 30,
	Year Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$	39,018	$	16,889	$	1,578
Total fair value of restricted stock vested	$	155	$	1,493	$	1,395
Total fair value of stock awards vested	$	—	$	—	$	1,591
Total fair value of restricted stock units vested	$	3,969	$	12,687	$	—