NASA Chief Technologist to Visit Tustin's L'Garde Inc. Thursday

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Mar 09, 2012, 11:56 ET

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA Chief Technologist Mason Peck will visit L'Garde Inc. in Tustin, Calif., on Thursday, March 15, at 9 a.m. PDT. Peck's visit will highlight ways government can partner with small business to help create the jobs of the future through investment in science and technology.

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L'Garde has received several contracts with NASA on a variety of projects, including the creation of inflatable structures for radio frequency antennas and solar arrays. In 1996, L'Garde flew the Inflatable Antenna Experiment aboard space shuttle flight STS-77. Most recently, L'Garde was awarded a NASA Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) contract to build and fly a large solar sail in 2014.

Solar sails are a possible alternative to conventional fuels for interplanetary flight. The L'Garde TDM solar sail will demonstrate the potential of sails for use in future missions and pave the way toward new space capabilities. L'Garde is partnering with commercial and government groups for this effort.

Peck and L'Garde's Chief Operating Officer Nathan Barnes will be available to speak with reporters during a tour of the L'Garde facility at 15181 Woodlawn Ave., in Tustin, beginning at 9 a.m. There will be photo opportunities with Peck and Barnes during the tour.

For more information about L'Garde, visit:

http://www.lgarde.com

For a biography of NASA Chief Technologist Mason Peck and information about his office, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/oct

SOURCE NASA