Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. today announced that Hamilton Sundstrand and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc., will be the primary suppliers to Team Ball in its pursuit of a contract for the Avionics Instrument Unit for the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV). Ares I will launch the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the vehicle that will carry the next generation of human explorers into orbit after the space shuttle is retired in 2010.

With 2006 revenues of $5 billion, Hamilton Sundstrand employs approximately 17,500 people worldwide and is headquartered in Windsor Locks, Conn. Among the world's largest suppliers of technologically advanced aerospace and industrial products, the company designs, manufactures and services aerospace systems and provides integrated system solutions for commercial, regional, corporate and military aircraft. It also is a major supplier for international space programs. Hamilton Sundstrand is on the Lockheed Martin Orion team with responsibility for Power Management and Distribution, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems and Active Thermal Control. NASA recently selected Hamilton Sundstrand for the advanced technology contract related to the Thrust Vector Controls (TVC) turbine pump assembly for application on the Ares I upper stage.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc., a part of Pratt & Whitney, offers a complete line of propulsion products from launch vehicles to missile defense to advanced hypersonic propulsion. These have been used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including the main engines for the space shuttle, Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, and missile defense systems. Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engineers, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company, providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries. Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne is currently supporting the Ares I program for the liquid-fuel J-2x engine and related interfaces with the main propulsion system of the Ares I Upper Stage.

"Hamilton Sundstrand and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne bring a depth of human-rated systems engineering talent and manufacturing produceability to the Ball pursuit to help NASA implement its design requirements of the Ares I Instrument Unit while at the same time reducing risk," said Bill Townsend, Ball Aerospace vice president for exploration systems.

Ball Aerospace is well-positioned to support NASA by offering crucial capabilities and technologies that enable human exploration and scientific discovery. Ball Aerospace offers decades of successful mission integration and large-scale subcontract management experience. The company was the lead mission integrator for the highly successful Deep Impact mission to encounter Comet Tempel 1, and is spearheading the development of the James Webb Space Telescope optical subsystem. The company supports NASA, NOAA, and the commercial remote-sensing industry with its fully redundant, BCP-2000 spacecraft line. The company has also designed and manufactured star trackers, cryogenic storage tanks, and keel latches for the space shuttle since 1981. Further, with the space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in 2008, Ball Aerospace will have built all of the operating Hubble instruments.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions of important national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. Over the past 50 years, Ball Aerospace has been responsible for numerous technological and scientific 'firsts' and acts as a technology innovator for the aerospace market.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products for beverage, food and household customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 15,500 people worldwide and reported 2006 sales of $6.6 billion.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such 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 filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available at our Web site and at http://www.sec.gov/. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in consumer and customer demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials, including recent significant increases in resin, steel, aluminum and energy costs, and the ability to pass such increases on to customers; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; industry productive capacity and competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions, including those associated with our beverage can end project; the German mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; and changes in foreign exchange rates, tax rates and activities of foreign subsidiaries. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental and workplace safety; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: rbrown@ball.com

SOURCE: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.