Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has been selected by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to build the Global Precipitation Measurement-Microwave Imager (GMI) in support of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Managed by NASA, GPM is a joint effort with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and other international partners to build a constellation of spacecraft to improve climate and weather predictions through more accurate and frequent precipitation measurements.

According to Ball Aerospace President and CEO Dave Taylor, "This is a strategic win for the company, since GMI builds on our heritage of successful microwave sensors, including the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-C), Geosat Follow On (GFO) and the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite. Our robust microwave technology developments contribute to a vast data and knowledge stream for environmental missions."

GMI will be integrated onto the GPM core spacecraft together with JAXA's Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar. When operational, they will make radiometric and radar measurements of precipitation.

"The award of GMI positions Ball Aerospace as the critical U.S. microwave instrument supplier for GPM. Being part of GPM, a prototype for the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), is very exciting," says Bill Townsend, vice president and general manager of Ball Aerospace's civil space system.

As envisioned, GPM will consist of a core spacecraft to measure precipitation and to provide a calibration standard for an international constellation of spacecraft. When fully deployed, the constellation will provide comprehensive data to produce and distribute global rain maps and climate research products.

Ball Aerospace is also bidding on the satellite bus for this mission and has been working on a first phase study to develop the spacecraft design. Final selection by NASA is expected next year.

Ball Corporation is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products to 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 employs more than 13,200 people worldwide and reported 2004 sales of $5.4 billion. The company is celebrating its 125th year in 2005.

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 www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in consumer and customer demand; availability and cost of raw materials, particularly the 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; lack of productivity improvement or production cost reductions; 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 technical uncertainty associated with 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 environmental and workplace safety; governmental investigations; goodwill impairment; antitrust and other litigation; strikes; boycotts; increases in employee benefits and labor costs; 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.

SOURCE: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.