Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. completed work on a $75 million expansion of its advanced satellite manufacturing center that more than doubles current spacecraft production capability in Boulder, Colorado.

The firm’s 90,000-square-foot expansion and improvement project is designed to accommodate larger and more sophisticated satellites and simultaneous spacecraft builds to fulfill new NASA and the Department of Defense contracts for space-related assets.

"Ball Aerospace plays a vital role on many of our nation's most critical programs and is committed to meeting customer mission needs for decades to come," said David L. Taylor , Ball Aerospace president and CEO. "The expansion we proudly unveil today also affirms our commitment to growing Colorado's dynamic aerospace economy."

The larger aerospace manufacturing complex in Boulder includes a 60-percent increase in clean room space, state-of-the-art environmental testing systems, and build-out capacity for a larger thermal vacuum chamber to test spacecraft, the company said. The new facilities enable Ball to provide the full range of manufacturing, assembly, integration and test capabilities needed to be the industry's go-to partner for high-performance satellites and instruments.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The firm is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food and household products customers, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade said it assists aerospace companies by providing technical assistance, counseling and access to training programs and other business incentive or financial programs. “Our business development representatives work closely with a statewide network of partners to assist with the site location process, provide customized research and economic conditions and comparisons, and offer other solutions to meet the needs of businesses in the aerospace industry,” the COED said.