Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has been selected as the prime contractor by the United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center for the Space Test Program's Standard Interface Vehicle (STP-SIV).

The goal of the STP-SIV program is to increase the flexibility and reduce the cost of small satellites, complementing similar efforts underway with small launch vehicles. Ball Aerospace, with teammates AeroAstro, Inc., and Broad Reach Engineering, will build a small spacecraft with a non-proprietary standardized payload-to-experiment interface. The first space vehicle contract is valued at $26M, with options for up to five additional spacecraft.

The Space Test Program, managed by the Space & Missile Center, Detachment 12, at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, has launched over 400 space technology experiments in the past 40 years.

"It is a privilege to be a part of this important and long standing program and we look forward to contributing to the continued success of the Space Test Program," said Ball Aerospace President and CEO, David L. Taylor.

Ball Aerospace celebrates its 50th year in business in 2006. The company began building pointing controls for military rockets in 1956, and later won a contract to build one of NASA's first spacecraft, the Orbiting Solar Observatory. Over the years, the company has been responsible for numerous technological and scientific 'firsts' and now acts as a technology innovator in important national missions.

Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic packaging products and owns Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., which develops sensors, spacecraft, systems and components for government and commercial customers. Ball reported 2005 sales of $5.8 billion and the company employs 13,100 people worldwide.