BOULDER, Colo., July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace
& Technologies Corp. has completed development of prototype
launch vehicle flight computers equipped to bring safety and
reliability to future human spaceflight systems. These flight
computers were financed by Ball Aerospace and are based on deployed
units now being used by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in
their simulation laboratories to develop software and test systems
for future human-rated launch vehicles. The computers are a
critical part of the electronic command and control flight avionics
system and are distinguished in their superior performance and
NASA's highest level human safety specification.
"These advanced avionics are directly applicable to future human
exploration goals and objectives," said Cary Ludtke, vice president and general manager
of Ball's Civil and Operational Space business unit. "We look
forward to participating in future opportunities that leverage
Ball's technologies."
Fault-tolerant computing is a key ingredient to human-rated
launch vehicle architectures. Ball Aerospace's flight
computers are human-rated by design, and provide a low-risk path to
flight for NASA's Space Launch System or commercial crew launch
systems. The flight computers contain significant advances in
throughput performance, I/O interfaces, and fault detection.
The design supports on-the-fly recovery of a failed flight
computer based on hardware or flexible software voting.
Hardware and software technologies developed by Ball Aerospace
for future human spaceflight include: the vision navigation sensor
and the high definition docking camera used to support the
successful Sensor Test for Orion Relative Navigation Risk
Mitigation (STORRM) Development for the STS-134 mission; phased
array antennas; avionic assemblies; and cryogenic storage.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical
missions of national importance for 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 2010 sales of more than
$7.6 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 99.2
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; 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; integration of
recently acquired businesses; 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; 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.