LGarde

"L'Garde" redirects here. Not to be confused with Legarde, Lagarde, Le Garde, or Garde.
L.Garde, Inc.
Company typePrivate Company
IndustryAerospace
Founded1971
FoundersBill Larkin, Gayle Bilyeu, Alan Hirasuna, Rick Walstrom, Don Davis
Headquarters15181 Woodlawn Ave, Tustin, CA 92780
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsDeployable Antennas, Space Propulsion, Space Structures, Missile Defense Targets and Countermeasures
Website[1]

LGarde, also L'Garde or L·Garde, is an American aerospace and defense technology company founded in 1971 in Orange County, CA[1] and is the primary contractor for the Sunjammer spacecraft, the world largest solar sail.[2] The company was an early pioneer of thin-skinned, multi-task inflatable structures used in various military and space applications.[3] At the height of the Cold War, L·Garde developed and manufactured inflatable targets and decoy systems for U.S. military defense, and countermeasure systems for the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars).[4] After the Cold-War, the company used the technologies and manufacturing techniques it had developed to land a contract to design and build the inflatable antenna experiment[5][6] and other thin-film inflatable space structures using its unique application of rigidizable tube technology.[7] The company's unusual name is an acronym formed by the initials of the founding partners: Bill Larkin, Gayle Bilyeu, Alan Hirasuna, Rich Walstrom, Don Davis. The "E" comes from the Latin term "et al" (and others) as a tip to other partners and original employees of the company.[1]

  1. ^ a b "LGarde Website". LGarde, Inc. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  2. ^ David, Leonard (31 January 2013). "NASA to Launch World's Largest Solar Sail in 2014". Space.com. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  3. ^ Takahashi, Dean (9 May 1990). "Trial Balloons : L'Garde Plans 'Space Art' for Goodwill Games". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  4. ^ Christian, Susan; Cristina Lee (24 January 1992). "O.C.'s Military Contractors Are Vulnerable but Hopeful". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  5. ^ "NASA Chief Technologist to Visit Tustin's L'Garde Inc Thursday". NASA News. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  6. ^ Cohn, Meredith (22 May 1996). "Technology on the Rise: Tustin Firm's Inflatable Antenna Passes a Key Test in Orbit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  7. ^ Lichodziejewski, D; G Veal; R Helms; R Freeland; M Kruer. "Inflatable Rigidizable Solar Array for Small Satellites" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. Department of Defense. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.