Alcatel-Lucent's Chinese subsidiary Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell and Thales are part of a consortium that also comprises Beijing Hua-Tie Information Technology Development CO.

Cao Jiantang, deputy general manager for Daxing line project management office at Beijing MTR Construction Administration, said: "Beijing's mass-transit network is expected to be the world's largest by 2015. The state-of-art engineering services of Alcatel-Lucent and the advanced signaling technologies from Thales will ensure the safety, quality and reliability of the new metro Daxing line."

Alcatel-Lucent and Thales have also won contracts from the municipalities of Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou to provide turnkey signaling solutions for their metro projects. In March, Alcatel-Lucent and Thales won a E13m ($16.8m) contract extension from Turkish Railways for phase one of its Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway signaling and telecoms project.

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Under the contract, Alcatel-Lucent will be responsible for network integration service, as well as consulting, design, and engineering services.

Thales will provide its industry-leading SelTrac Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system.

'Beijing's mass-transit network is expected to be the world's largest by 2015. The state-of-art engineering services of Alcatel-Lucent and the advanced signalling technologies from Thales will ensure the safety, quality and reliability of the new metro Daxing line,'said Mr.Cao Jiantang, Deputy General Manager for Daxing line project management office, Beijing MTR Construction Administration Corporation.

'This contract complements our previous achievements in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou,' said Olivia Qiu, president of Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell and president of Alcatel-Lucent East Asia. 'They reflect the strong confidence our Chinese customers have in the solution and integration service the team brought and further highlight the expertise of the team in serving the urban railway industry.'

'This contract further confirms Thales' leadership on the CBTC signalling market in China. I am really proud that Thales's world leading CBTC technology, Seltrac is providing millions of passengers from the largest Chinese cities with a reliable and safe metro service,' said Jean-Pierre Forestier, Vice President, Managing Director of Thales's Rail Signalling activity.

Alcatel-Lucent and Thales have been selected by the municipalities of Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou to provide turnkey signalling solutions for their metro projects.Alcatel-Lucent is the network integrator of choice for carriers and enterprises seeking to solve complex communications challenges. Thales is a worldwide leader in the supply of fully automated train control and communications solutions.

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.

Additionally, Ball Aerospace will advise Thales Alenia Space on possible hosted secondary payload opportunities to serve the needs of a variety of defense and civil missions.

"Ball Aerospace brings nearly five decades of space segment payload integration and test experience to the Thales offering," said David L. Taylor, president and CEO of Ball Aerospace. "Together, Thales and Ball Aerospace are a formidable team in the competition to provide the next generation Iridium system."

"Thales Alenia Space confirms the addition of Ball Aerospace to the Iridium NEXT team. They are the last link in the value chain to Iridium and will provide both the quality and dedication required to build this challenging NEXT constellation," said Emmanuel Grave, Executive Vice President Telecommunication of Thales Alenia Space.

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.

Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) is a supplier of high-quality metal and plastic 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 2008 sales of approximately $7.6 billion.

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 at our Web site 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; 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 current global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; integration of recently acquired businesses; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including in respect of climate change, 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; 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.

http://www.ballaerospace.com

Iridium and SeaMobile Europe teamed with Thales Alenia Space to provide Iridium OpenPort equipment and services for the support vessel accompanying the UCAR Cap Odyssee Challenge, which concluded August 28 when three young French women successfully became the first to cross the North Atlantic Ocean on paddleboards.

SeaMobile also provided its unique ClipWay(R) software package, which permitted the crew to compress and transmit photos and video files from the boat through the Iridium OpenPort terminal.

"The voice quality was excellent, and SeaMobile's ClipWay software made it very easy for us to send video and photos through the satellites using the 128 kbps datalink," said Parlier.

The three young women -- Stephanie Geyer-Barneix, Alexandra Lux and Flora Manciet -- departed from Cape Breton, Canada, on July 5, and arrived at Capbreton, France, 54 days later. Paddling in relays, they averaged some 100 kilometers per day.

"Thanks to Iridium, SeaMobile and Thales Alenia Space, we were able to sustain our enthusiasm and overcome our weariness by phoning friends and families and reading daily encouraging e-mails from our many supporters in Canada and France," the three paddleboard competitors said. "This played an important role in the successful completion of our beautiful and exciting adventure."

"The UCAR Cap Odyssee Challenge provided an excellent showcase for our new high-bandwidth Iridium OpenPort technology, which was introduced last year to meet the increasing demand for cost-effective high-capacity voice and data communications for ships and boats at sea," said Don Thoma, executive vice president of marketing, Iridium. "It provides three independent phone circuits and a separate scalable, high-speed data port, all of which can be used simultaneously without interference. The compact lightweight antenna, which has no moving parts, installs quickly and easily on vessels of all sizes."

"We were very pleased to work with Iridium and SeaMobile Europe to provide the latest in marine satellite communications technology for this record-setting expedition," said Marjorie Thary, satcom systems architect, Thales Alenia Space. "The Iridium OpenPort system made it possible for the crew to send daily reports from the boat and to obtain weather forecasts along their route, an important consideration for the safety of the paddleboarders."

"We salute these three brave young women for their dramatic achievement as the first to paddleboard across the North Atlantic Ocean, and we are pleased to welcome them home safe and sound," said Juliette Warter, marketing director for SeaMobile Europe. "We are delighted that we were able to play a part in their success."

About Iridium Communications Inc.

Iridium is the only provider of mobile satellite communications services offering 100% global coverage. Iridium's constellation operates in a low-earth orbit and its satellite network provides communication services to regions of the world not served by wireless or wireline networks. Iridium offers voice and data communications services to the U.S. and foreign governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations and consumers via its constellation of 66 in-orbit satellites, seven in-orbit spares and related ground infrastructure. Iridium's commercial end-user base includes the emergency services, maritime, government, utilities, oil and gas, mining, leisure, forestry, construction and transportation markets. Iridium's products and related applications are installed in unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, commercial aircraft, marine vessels, and ground vehicles. Iridium has launched a major development program for its next-generation constellation, Iridium NEXT, which will support new and existing Iridium product and service offerings. Iridium is headquartered in Bethesda, MD.

About SeaMobile Europe

For nearly 20 years, SeaMobile Europe has been a pioneer in providing global satellite communication services. As a preferred partner of the world's leading satellite networks and a key Iridium distributor, the company provides services ranging from simple voice communication to the setup of complete IP networks. With combined professional applications, communication methods become optimized, reliable, and cost effective. SeaMobile Europe, formerly Geolink, is part of SeaMobile Enterprises Group, based in Seattle and Miami (U.S.). SeaMobile Europe is the dominant global service provider of communications, connectivity and content services in remote locations at sea and on land. For more information, visit www.seamobile.com.

About Thales Alenia Space

A European leader in satellite systems and a major player in orbital infrastructures, Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67 percent) and Finmeccanica (33 percent). Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio embody the two groups' "Space Alliance." Thales Alenia Space sets the global standard in solutions for space telecoms, radar and optical Earth observation, defense and security, navigation and science. The company has a total of 7,200 employees and 11 industrial sites, with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium. For more information, visit www.thalesaleniaspace.com.

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Iridium Communications Inc.

CONTACT:  Iridium Communications Inc.
Press Contact:
Liz DeCastro
+1 (301) 571-6257
liz.decastro@iridium.com
SeaMobile Europe
Press Contact:
Juliette Warter
+33 177 753 000
juliette.warter@seamobile.com
Thales Alenia Space
Press Contact:
Marjorie Thary
+33 534 355 674
marjorie.thary@thalesaleniaspace.com