Ball Aerospace Hosts Mission Assurance Improvement Workshop
PR Newswire
BOULDER, Colo.

BOULDER, Colo., April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. and the Aerospace Corporation will co-host the 2013 Mission Assurance Improvement Workshop (MAIW), April 30-May 1 in Boulder to explore and document best practices and craft a common approach to mission assurance for the U.S. space program.

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The workshop at Ball Aerospace is the culmination of nine months of effort by government, academic and industry subject matter experts to address high priority, common challenges faced by the U.S. space community as it strives to address the challenges to mission success. To achieve that goal, the workshop is designed to enhance the collaboration among U.S. space professionals in the community.

"Ball's proactive approach to mission assurance makes us a trusted partner in risk-based decision making," said Sherri Fike, Ball's vice president of Mission Assurance.  As an example Fike cited the company's mission assurance best practice of utilizing an automated corrective action and tracking system. 

Keynote speakers at the workshop include Dr. Walter Scott, founder and chief technical officer and executive vice president of DigitalGlobe, and Russ Romanella, director of safety and mission assurance for NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

In addition to Ball Aerospace and the Aerospace Corporation, those attending the invitation-only conference include: AEI Systems, Aeroflex, the Applied Physics Laboratory, BAE Systems, Boeing, General Dynamics, Harris, International Rectifier, Kratos, Loral Space Systems, Lockheed Martin, M.S. Kennedy, the Missile Defense Agency, Micropac Industries, MIT Lincoln Labs, NASA, Northrop Grumman, the National Reconnaissance Office, Orbital Sciences Corporation, Raytheon, and the U.S. Air Force.

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, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ approximately 15,000 people worldwide and reported 2012 sales of more than $8.7 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.

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 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website 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; political instability and sanctions; 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 recent global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions affecting products filled in our containers, 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; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget and debt limit; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.

SOURCE Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.