BOULDER, Colo., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has completed integration and performance testing of the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) that will fly aboard NASA's National Preparatory Project (NPP) weather satellite.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100722/LA39445) (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100722/LA39445)
CrIS, an advanced infrared sensor built by ITT, is part of the five-instrument suite that will allow the NPP satellite to collect and distribute remotely sensed land, ocean, and atmospheric data to the meteorological and global climate change communities. The advanced sensor suite will provide atmospheric and sea surface temperatures, humidity sounding, land and ocean biological productivity and cloud and aerosol properties.
CrIS arrived at Ball Aerospace on June 18 and integration was complete on July 14. The full satellite will now undergo environmental testing at Ball Aerospace prior to its scheduled launch in October 2011.
"Successful integration of CrIS brings us one step closer to launching the nation's critically needed, next weather satellite," said Cary Ludtke, vice president and general manager for Ball's Civil and Operational Space business unit. "This significant milestone demonstrates the flexibility of Ball's BCP platform to easily accommodate multiple instruments even when requirements change over the course of the program."
In addition to CrIS, the instruments integrated onto the NPP spacecraft bus include the Ball-built Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite; the Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder; and the Cloud and the Earth's Radiant Energy System. 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 http://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 14,000 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 http://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.
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN17
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100722/LA39445
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
CONTACT: Roz Brown of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.,
+1-303-533-6059, rbrown@ball.com
Web Site: http://www.ballaerospace.com/
