BROOMFIELD, Colo., Dec. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace
is celebrating today's launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope
(Webb) from French Guiana. The
Colorado-based company designed
and built the advanced optical technology and lightweight mirror
system that will enable Webb to detect light from the first stars
and galaxies.
"It is truly an honor to be such an integral part of the next
great space observatory," said Dr. Makenzie
Lystrup, vice president and general manager, Civil Space,
Ball Aerospace. "Today's launch is the culmination of a lot of hard
work by a closely integrated team that spanned across multiple
mission partners and NASA. We are tremendously eager to see the
science the new observatory captures."
Announced as the Next Generation Space Telescope in 1996, and
renamed James Webb Space Telescope in 2002, the space science
observatory represents the largest and most complex ever built.
Once on orbit, Webb will capture faint light from the very first
objects that illuminated the universe after the Big Bang.
To make this possible, Ball Aerospace worked with NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center and Northrop Grumman, the prime industry
partner, to innovate the 25 square-meter (~269 square feet) mirror
system consisting of 18 beryllium mirror segments working together
as one mirror. It will be the largest mirror and the first
segmented telescope ever deployed in space, operating at the
extremely cold space temperature of -406⁰ F (30K) necessary for infrared imaging of distant
stars and galaxies.
Ball also developed the cryogenic actuators mounted on each
segment to control individual mirror positioning and curvature
radius within one ten-thousandth the width of a human hair. To
align the mirror segments, Ball also designed the 22 electronic
flight control boxes to operate in a deep-freeze space environment
to individually control each of the 132 actuators that keep the
telescope segments properly aligned on orbit.
To innovate, validate and demonstrate technologies used to
develop Webb's pioneering optical system, Ball Aerospace drew on
its in-depth experience with space hardware designed for all four
of NASA's Great Observatories (Hubble Space Telescope, Compton
Gamma Ray Observatory, Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Spitzer Space
Telescope).
Ball is also playing critical roles in other upcoming space
observation missions. It is partnering with Goddard to develop the
Wide Field Instrument for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and
providing the spacecraft bus and telescope for the
Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of
Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx). Earlier this month, the
Ball-built Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) launched from
Kennedy Space Center on its mission to uncover the inner workings
of some of the most exotic astronomical objects in our universe,
such as neutron stars and black holes.
Powered by endlessly curious people with an unwavering mission
focus, Ball Aerospace pioneers discoveries that enable our
customers to perform beyond expectation and protect what matters
most. We create innovative space solutions, enable more accurate
weather forecasts, drive insightful observations of our planet,
deliver actionable data and intelligence, and ensure those who
defend our freedom go forward bravely and return home safely. Go
Beyond with Ball.® For more information, visit
www.ball.com/aerospace or connect with us on Facebook or
Twitter.
About Ball Corporation
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL)
supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for
beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well
as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the
U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ
21,500 people worldwide and reported 2020 net sales of $11.8 billion. For more information, visit
www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning
future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects,"
"anticipates," "estimates," "believes," and similar expressions
typically identify forward-looking statements, which are generally
any statements other than statements of historical fact. Such
statements are based on current expectations or views of the future
and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause
actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed
or implied. You should therefore not place undue reliance upon any
forward-looking statements and they should be read in conjunction
with, and qualified in their entirety by, the cautionary statements
referenced below. 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 factors,
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and
results to be different are summarized in filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99 in our
Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at www.sec.gov.
Additional factors that might affect: a) our packaging segments
include product capacity, supply, and demand constraints and
fluctuations and changes in consumption patterns; availability/cost
of raw materials, equipment, and logistics; competitive packaging,
pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; footprint
adjustments and other manufacturing changes, including the startup
of new facilities and lines; failure to achieve synergies,
productivity improvements or cost reductions; unfavorable mandatory
deposit or packaging laws; customer and supplier consolidation;
power and supply chain interruptions; changes in major customer or
supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier;
inability to pass through increased costs; political instability
and sanctions; currency controls; changes in foreign exchange or
tax rates; and tariffs, trade actions, or other governmental
actions, including business restrictions and shelter-in-place
orders in any country or jurisdiction affecting goods produced by
us or in our supply chain, including imported raw materials; b) our
aerospace segment include funding, authorization, availability and
returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays,
extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts;
c) the Company as a whole include those listed above plus: the
extent to which sustainability-related opportunities arise and can
be capitalized upon; changes in senior management, succession, and
the ability to attract and retain skilled labor; regulatory actions
or issues including those related to tax, ESG reporting,
competition, environmental, health and workplace safety, including
U.S. FDA and other actions or public concerns affecting products
filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw
materials or in the manufacturing process; technological
developments and innovations; the ability to manage cyber threats;
litigation; strikes; disease; pandemic; labor cost changes;
inflation; rates of return on assets of the Company's defined
benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties
surrounding geopolitical events and governmental policies,
including policies, orders, and actions related to COVID-19;
reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and
successful or unsuccessful joint ventures, acquisitions and
divestitures, and their effects on our operating results and
business generally.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ball-aerospace-built-optics-and-mirror-system-launched-today-aboard-james-webb-space-telescope-301450794.html
SOURCE Ball Aerospace