The most technically challenging portion of the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) -- the focal planes -- are now complete. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has completed environmental and performance testing on three focal planes for the first OMPS flight unit, also know as the Proto-Flight Model (PFM).

The OMPS PFM Nadir and Limb sensors and main electronics boxes are also nearing completion of the integration phase and will be entering test.

OMPS is one of more than a dozen instruments that will fly as part of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) -- a program designed to provide the nation with the capability to measure atmospheric, land and ocean environmental conditions on a global basis. Ball Aerospace is part of the Northrop Grumman Space Technology NPOESS team. Northrop Grumman is the NPOESS prime contractor and has overall responsibility for the program development effort.

OMPS is designed to replace the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Radiometer 2 (SBUV/2), a Ball-built ozone monitor flown on NOAA weather satellites and providing uninterrupted global measurements of ozone concentration in the Earth's stratosphere for more than 12 years. OMPS will provide parallel functionality to both SBUV/2 and NASA's Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), with new and improved environmental data records.

"OMPS represents continuing excellence of Ball Aerospace ozone monitoring sensors demonstrated by SBUV/2 and SAGE III," said Mike Cerneck, Vice President and General Manager of Ball Aerospace Defense Operations.

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 14,000 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.