Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has begun integration of the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP).

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NPOESS, a joint program between NASA and the Integrated Program Office, is the nation's next generation low-Earth orbiting operational weather and climate monitoring system. The VIIRS sensor is the fourth of five weather instruments to be integrated onto the Ball Aerospace-designed and built NPP spacecraft bus. Instruments already integrated include the Ball-built Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite; the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder; and the Cloud and the Earth's Radiant Energy System. The fifth instrument, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) is scheduled to arrive at Ball Aerospace for integration later this year.

"Northrop Grumman and the IPO, and our customer, Goddard Space Flight Center, have worked long and hard to get to this point," said Cary Ludtke, vice president and general manager for Ball's Civil and Operational Space business unit. "Ball Aerospace looks forward to the critical integration of VIIRS, and CrIS later this year, then qualifying the entire observatory for launch. The anticipated delivery and integration of the final NPP flight instruments at Ball will result in several major program milestones by the end of 2010."

VIIRS will collect visible and infrared imagery and radiometric data about the atmosphere, clouds, earth's radiation, land/water surfaces, sea surface temperature, ocean color and other types of environmental data. Ball expects to complete integration of the VIIRS instrument by mid-February.

NASA and the NPOESS IPO have developed NPP as the mission precursor to the NPOESS mission, and to provide data continuity between the Earth Observing System Terra and Aqua missions. NPP will also provide risk reduction for the NPOESS program through early flight validation of critical NPOESS sensors.

Under contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Ball Aerospace employed a modified Ball Commercial Platform 2000 to accommodate NPP's five 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. For more information visit www.ballaerospace.com.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2009 sales of approximately $7.3 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 www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; 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 or tax rates. 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; changes in senior management; the current global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including in respect of climate change, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; 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

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SOURCE: Ball Aerospace