Ball Aerospace Completes NPP Instrument Verification and Test
December 06 2005 - 3:05PM
PR Newswire (US)
BOULDER, Colo., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ball Aerospace
recently completed the integration of the engineering models for
three of the instruments scheduled to fly on the National
Polar-orbiting Operational Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory
Project (NPP) spacecraft bus. The models will test and verify
mechanical and electrical interfaces between the instruments and
the spacecraft before installation of the Advanced Technology
Microwave Sounder (ATMS), the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CRiS)
and the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) is completed later
next year. In addition, Ball Aerospace developed and qualified the
first fault-tolerant, spacecraft-to-payload 1394 interface for use
in space, and completed verification of the interface on NPP's
instrument engineering models. The 1394 interface is used for
high-data-rate applications and operates at 100 megabits per
second. "The successful integration of the instrument engineering
models onto NPP is a significant milestone for this program," says
David L. Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Ball
Aerospace & Technologies Corp. "This extensive testing allows
us to have the spacecraft fully prepared before instrument
integration begins and it demonstrates true progress on the NPOESS
program." NPP, the mission precursor for NPOESS will provide data
continuity between the Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra and Aqua
missions and NPOESS, and provide technical risk reduction for
NPOESS. Under contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Ball
Aerospace will provide the spacecraft, perform satellite-level
testing and integrate instruments provided by NPOESS prime
contractor Northrop Grumman. Ball Aerospace is also providing one
of four instruments selected for the flight, the Ozone Mapping and
Profiler Suite (OMPS). OMPS is the next-generation ozone monitoring
system designed to collect total column and vertical profile ozone
data and continue the daily global data produced by the current
ozone monitoring systems, the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet
Radiometer/2 (built by Ball Aerospace for NOAA POES spacecraft) and
Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (built by Ball Aerospace for
Nimbus 7). The NPP Project is a joint effort between the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. Scheduled to
launch in 2008, NPP is expected be in orbit prior to the end of the
EOS Aqua mission, as well as to provide data overlap with the
NPOESS spacecraft. Ball Corporation (NYSE:BLL) is a supplier of
metal and plastic packaging products, primarily for 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 Corporation
employs more than 13,500 people and reported 2004 sales of $5.4
billion. 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 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 due to the
effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as 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; fruit, vegetable and fishing 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; 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 delays,
extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts.
Factors that could affect the company as a whole include those
listed plus: acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures;
regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental and
workplace safety; governmental investigations; technological
developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust,
patent and other litigation; strikes; boycotts; labor cost changes;
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 or management's evaluation of the company's
internal control over financial reporting. DATASOURCE: Ball
Aerospace & Technologies Corp. CONTACT: Emilia Reed of Ball
Aerospace & Technologies Corp., +1-303-533-6059m, Web site:
http://www.ballaerospace.com/
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