WHAT:  Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. will celebrate its role in multiple astrophysics missions including the completion of the mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope with a Science Showcase press conference and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) student presentation. The world recently witnessed the impressive landing by NASA's robotic explorer Curiosity as it blazed onto the surface of Mars. Now is your chance to learn more about future space science missions.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120813/LA56181)

Ball has played a significant role in astrophysics and planetary missions including Kepler, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, the Cosmic Background Explorer, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope and the future Sentinel Mission.

For the James Webb Space Telescope, Ball Aerospace is the principal subcontractor to Northrop Grumman for the optical technology and lightweight mirror system that lies at the heart of NASA's Webb. Ball has designed and delivered 18 beryllium primary mirror segments for James Webb, secondary and tertiary mirrors, a fine steering mirror, and several engineering development units.

This is the last opportunity to see the James Webb Space Telescope mirrors at Ball Aerospace.  Media tours will be available.

Event speakers include: NASA Chief Scientist, Waleed Abdalati; Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, Matt Mountain; and President and CEO of Ball Aerospace, Dave Taylor.

WHEN:  Wednesday, August 15. Media tours begin at 9:30 a.m. STEM student robotic demonstrations display, 10:30 a.m., Science Showcase press conference, 11 a.m.

WHERE:  Tuskegee Airmen Conference Center, 1600 Commerce St., Boulder, CO. Journalists who want to participate via phone should dial: 1-888-669-2803; Access Code 5021430.

RSVP:  Roz Brown
Ball Aerospace Media Relations Manager
303-533-6059; 720-581-3135
rbrown@ball.com

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for 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 (NYSE:BLL) is a supplier of high quality 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 2011 sales of more than $8.6 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.

/PRNewswire -- Aug. 13, 2012/

SOURCE Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.