Ball Aerospace completes integration for the DoD's STP-SIV

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has successfully completed space vehicle integration for the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program Standard Interface Vehicle (STP-SIV) program.

Space vehicle integration will be followed by a series of rigorous environmental and operational tests continuing through August, 2009. Spacecraft launch is expected in February 2010.

Ball Aerospace is the prime contractor for the STP-SIV program and is responsible for the overall system including the standard payload interface design, payload integration, space vehicle environmental testing, and launch and mission support. The contract for up to six vehicle orders for the Air Force Space Development & Test Wing's (SDTW) Space Development Group at Kirtland Air Force Base was awarded in 2006.

"The STP-SIV architecture developed by Ball fully supports the Operationally Responsive Space strategy to ensure U.S. space superiority," said Fred Doyle, vice president and general manager for Ball Aerospace's National Defense Solutions business unit. "To meet the challenging requirements for the first STP-SIV, Ball relied on repeatable design and payload interface capabilities demonstrated for the Air Force STP-1 mission, Orbital Express, for which Ball provided the NextSat Satellite."

STP-SIV satellite bus components were delivered to Ball Aerospace by AeroAstro in Dec., 2008. The small, 120 kg bus - about the size of a two-drawer file cabinet - requires versatile performance characteristics that will enable it to fly in a wide range of LEO orbits and support a variety of experimental payloads and launch vehicles on subsequent flights. The STP has launched more than 490 space technology experiments.

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. Since 1956, Ball Aerospace has been responsible for numerous technological and scientific 'firsts' and is a technology innovator in aerospace.

Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products 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 2008 sales of more than $7.5 billion.