NOAA selects Ball for ocean-observation instrument study

BOULDER — Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., the aerospace arm of Westminster-based metal-packaging manufacturer Ball Corp. (NYSE: BLL), is one of two companies selected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to administer a study of a new instrument used to observe Earth’s oceans. 

The Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) Ocean Color study contract will pay Ball about $5.2 million over 22 months.

“The principal purpose of these contracts is to provide a definition-phase study of a GeoXO OCX instrument, a hyperspectral, ultraviolet through near-infrared, passive imaging radiometer used to measure critical environmental data,” NOAA said in a news release. “OCX will provide…