More than 40 employees
of BASF Corporation were recently honored by ATK Thiokol Propulsion with the
NASA Space Flight Awareness Team Award.

NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Team Awards are granted to groups of
employees who have demonstrated exemplary teamwork while accomplishing a
significant task or goal in support of NASA’s space flight programs. ATK
Thiokol Propulsion nominated BASF for the NASA award.

The BASF employees, who were honored during a ceremony at the BASF
Performance Chemicals Group site here, mounted a cooperative effort over an
18-month period to ensure continued delivery of a critical performance
chemical used to make a binder in the propellant for the solid rocket boosters
in NASA’s space shuttle.

BASF Performance Chemicals employees were recognized based on two key
accomplishments. First, they successfully transferred production from the BASF
Folcroft, Pa., site to the BASF Clear Lake, Texas, site. In addition, they
provided continued, on-time supply of excellent product throughout both the
production transfer process and the intensive 18-month qualification process
at the Clear Lake site.

“I am very proud of the BASF team. Their efforts demonstrated our
commitment not only to manufacturing a superior product but also to delivering
superior service in support of the Space Shuttle program,” said Michael
Stumpp, Group Vice President, Performance Chemicals, BASF.

In March 2001, BASF relocated production of the performance chemical from
Folcroft to Clear Lake, where it had increased production capacity. In
advance of the move, Folcroft employees made enough material to ensure
continued supply throughout the period that Clear Lake underwent qualification
for the chemical.

Concurrently, BASF Performance Chemicals employees at the Clear Lake site
produced material and provided samples for testing and qualification by ATK
Thiokol Propulsion to NASA. Testing was successful, and in early October the
Performance Chemicals Clear Lake site was approved to produce product for the
Space Shuttle program.

BASF: Helping Make Products Better(TM)

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company, offering its customers a
range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, coatings
systems, dispersions, agricultural products and fine chemicals as well as
crude oil and natural gas. BASF is an industry leader in sustainable
development, including environmental protection, safety and health, and social
responsibility. BASF had 2001 sales of $29 billion and employs more than
90,000 people worldwide. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in New
York (BF), Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), Paris (BA) and Zurich (BAS). BASF
Corporation is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
In North America, 2001 sales were $6.9 billion and the company employs
approximately 14,000 people. For more information or to subscribe to receive
news releases by e-mail, visit http://www.basf.com/usa .

About ATK

ATK is a $2.1 billion aerospace and defense company with leading positions
in propulsion, composite structures, munitions and precision capabilities. The
company, which is headquartered in Edina, Minn., employs approximately 11,500
people. ATK Thiokol Propulsion, headquartered at Promontory, Utah, is a leader
in the design, development and production of solid propulsion systems for
commercial and government space launch vehicles, strategic missiles and
missile defense interceptors. ATK news and information can be found on the
Internet at http://www.atk.com