Ball Aerospace Wins Contract For Landsat Imager

Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. will develop the camera for NASA’s Landsat Data Continuity Mission, the company announced July 16.

Ball will manufacture the Operational Land Imager instrument, which will capture images in the visible and near-infrared spectra. The company also will provide five years of on-orbit support, and the contract includes five one-year options for basic on-orbit support.

If all options are exercised, the potential period of performance would extend through 2021 and the contract would be valued at $127.9 million.

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission is scheduled for launch no earlier than July 2011. Ball Aerospace, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Orbital Sciences Corp. and Space Systems/Loral received contracts from NASA in April to develop concepts for the satellite platform. NASA plans to release a request for offer for the spacecraft this fall.