Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. announced today that its new Horizontal Collimator Assembly (HCA), which tests large telescope systems in a space-like environment, is now operational. The HCA facilitates the testing of optical systems with apertures up to 30 inches (0.76 meter) in diameter. Since the entire test facility and instrument are vibration isolated inside a thermal/vacuum chamber, risks associated with atmospheric turbulence and air-layering effects are eliminated.

By early 2006, the HCA will be joined by a Vertical Collimator Assembly (VCA), which will allow system-level testing with a 1.5 meter diameter collimator system in a vacuum. Together, both collimators will be known as the Universal Collimator Assembly (UCA). The UCA will also be capable of testing cryogenic telescopes. The high-resolution WorldView camera, under development for DigitalGlobe on behalf of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and satellite imagery customers worldwide, will be the first optical instrument tested in using HCA.

According to Dave Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace, "The HCA is our next step in the company's long-term commitment to large-aperture optical systems. The system will give us a competitive advantage in the marketplace."

Ball Aerospace has a long-standing reputation for delivering sophisticated optical instruments for NASA and military applications. The company also has a growing business base for developing excellent large-aperture systems such as QuickBird, HiRISE, the Spitzer Space Telescope, Kepler and the James Webb Space Telescope.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products to the beverage and food industries. The company also owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., which develops sensors, spacecraft, systems and components for government and commercial markets. Ball employs more than 13,200 people worldwide and reported 2004 sales of $5.4 billion. The company is celebrating its 125th year in 2005.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release contains "forward-looking" statements and other statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," and variations of same and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, especially in Exhibit 99.2 in the most recent Form 10-K. These filings are available at our Web site and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in consumer and customer demand; availability and cost of raw materials, particularly resin, steel, aluminum and energy, and the ability to pass on to customers changes in these costs; competitive packaging material availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; fruit, vegetable and fishing yields; industry productive capacity and competitive activity; lack of productivity improvement or production cost reductions; the German mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer contracts or loss of a major customer; international business risks, including foreign exchange rates, tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries; and the effect of LIFO accounting on earnings. Factors that might affect aerospace segment include: funding, authorization and availability of government contracts and the nature and continuation of those contracts; and technical uncertainty associated with segment contracts. Factors that could affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures and associated integration activities; regulatory action or laws including environmental and workplace safety; governmental investigations; goodwill impairment; antitrust and other litigation; strikes; boycotts; increases in employee benefits and labor costs; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits of our financial statements or internal controls over financial reporting.

SOURCE: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.