BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace
& Technologies Corp. and the non-profit B612 Foundation have
signed a contract for Ball to create prototype infrared imaging
sensors for the Sentinel Mission, a deep space mission to protect
Earth by providing early warning of threatening asteroids. Ball's
detector design characterization initiates the first phase of
developing Sentinel's 20-inch diameter, space-based infrared
telescope.
(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121030/LA02257)
Sentinel is led by B612, a group of highly regarded scientists
and explorers whose goal is to build, launch, and operate the first
privately funded deep space mission. The mission will create a
comprehensive and dynamic map of the inner solar system to catalog
90 percent of the asteroids larger than 140 meters in Earth's
region of the solar system. The map will detail the paths of
asteroids during the next 100 years to provide decades of notice of
threatening asteroids on a collision course with Earth.
Ball's advanced detector technology is responsible for many of
the most spectacular space images ever taken, including those
returned by the Kepler mission, the Spitzer and Hubble Space
Telescopes, the Deep Impact mission and the HiRISE camera aboard
the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. These missions developed flight
proven deep space systems that will be used to minimize the
technical and programmatic risks on the Sentinel mission.
Ball's state-of-the-art Detector Technology Center which
opened in 2006 will play a critical role in producing the Sentinel
camera.
"Sentinel is unique because it relies on proven systems that
will now be leveraged for a privately-funded mission," said
Cary Ludtke, vice president and
general manager of Ball's Civil and Operational Space strategic
business unit.
"Ball was our first and only choice as the major contractor for
Sentinel," said Ed Lu, Chairman,
B612 Foundation. "The company is a pioneer in space
observatories with a track record of excellence spanning more than
55 years. We are thrilled to have them as our partner."
The B612 Foundation recently announced the formation and
initial findings of its Sentinel Special Review Team (SSRT).
The SSRT's first charge was a review of the technical
requirements and management structure for Sentinel and proposed
plan evaluation. This successful review was conducted
September 11-13 in Boulder, where the Sentinel spacecraft will be
built.
Sentinel will launch into a Venus-like orbit around the sun,
which significantly improves the efficiency of asteroid discovery
during its 6.5-year mission. By creating a map of the solar
system in Earth's neighborhood, Sentinel will enable future robotic
and manned exploration. The mission data will also detect and track
myriad objects potentially hazardous to humanity, and provide
decades of warning of impending impacts, enough to easily deflect
threatening asteroids using existing technology.
To date, only about one percent of the nearly one million
asteroids that could potentially hit Earth with devastating
consequences have been observed and tracked. In just the
first few weeks of operation, Sentinel will surpass this total, and
during the first five years of operation, is expected to discover
50 times more near-Earth asteroids than have been found by all
other telescopes throughout history combined. Sentinel will take
approximately five years to complete development and testing, to be
ready for launch in 2017-2018.
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.