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Ball Aerospace OMPS Sensor for JPSS-1 Progressing Ahead of Schedule

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  Published in House and Home on Tuesday, January 8th 2013 at 6:16 GMT by Market Wire
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Ball Aerospace OMPS Sensor for JPSS-1 Progressing Ahead of Schedule -- BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

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BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) instrument being built for the first Joint Polar Satellite System satellite (JPSS-1) is progressing ahead of schedule and on budget.

(Photo: [ http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130108/LA38923 ])

The OMPS nadir sensor and main electronics box are in the final stages of unit testing, with testing of the integrated sensor suite planned for early spring of 2013.  The current forecasted delivery date for the completed OMPS sensor is late 2013, seven months ahead of the contractual delivery date.  The OMPS sensor will eventually be integrated onto the JPSS-1 spacecraft, which is scheduled to launch no later than the first quarter 2017.

OMPS continues the ozone data record created by previous sensors flown since 1978. The OMPS advanced hyperspectral instrument is designed to measure atmospheric ozone and how ozone concentration varies with altitude with improved precision.  These data are used to monitor the health of the Earth's ozone layer.  Higher spatial resolution of the JPSS-1 OMPS will also improve tracking of volcanic and atmospheric aerosol events.  To enable the higher resolution and high fidelity data products, the JPSS-1 OMPS is currently being radiometrically calibrated on the ground at Ball Aerospace. 

This is the second OMPS sensor built by Ball Aerospace. An earlier version is flying aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite launched in 2011. The Suomi NPP OMPS delivered its first ozone measurements of the Antarctic ozone hole in October 2012, continuing a satellite record dating from the early 1970s. The Suomi NPP OMPS was calibrated similarly, which permitted a simple and fast transition from on-orbit validation to scientific use of the sensor.  Results of the Suomi NPP OMPS have demonstrated its capability to monitor ozone and other trace gases such as sulfur dioxide, along with ultraviolet-absorbing aerosols in the Earth's atmosphere.

Ball Aerospace also designed and built the Suomi NPP satellite bus, and is currently building the JPSS-1 satellite bus under a contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.  Suomi NPP provides continuity of environmental and weather observations between the Earth Observing System satellites and the JPSS satellites.  The JPSS satellites are expected to maintain continuity of weather and environmental observations into the late 2020s.

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 ].

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; 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.