L.Garde
L.Garde Inc is a privately held Tustin, California aerospace firm designing, manufacturing, and qualifying deployable space structures — inflatable antennas, solar sails, deployable trusses, and MLI panels — primarily for U.S. government agencies (DARPA, NASA) and Tier 1 defense primes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersTustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What L.Garde does
L.Garde Inc is a privately held aerospace engineering and manufacturing firm founded in 1971 and headquartered in Tustin, California. The company designs, develops, fabricates, and qualifies deployable space structures, including inflatable antennas, solar sails, deployable trusses, and radar platform structures, and offers terrestrial multi-layer insulation panels derived from the same membrane technology stack. Its proprietary computational codes — FAIM and FLATE for ultra-thin membrane inverse transformation, and AWSOME for space weather and missile trajectory analysis (integrated with AGI System Tool Kit) — complement the hardware pipeline and the company's accumulated specialty engineering know-how.
The company's customer base is concentrated in U.S. government defense and intelligence agencies, principally DARPA and NASA, and selected Tier 1 aerospace and defense primes. Named flagship programs include the DARPA ISAT 300m electronically steered space-based radar platform, the NASA Sunjammer solar sail program (with 83m2, 318m2, and 300m2 quadrant deployments), and the 1996 STS-77 14-meter Inflatable Antenna Experiment. The firm has flown more than 150 objects in space over its 50+ year operating history.
L.Garde makes money through custom contract-based engineering services, prototyping, qualification testing, and hardware deliverables under B2B aerospace and defense contracts (no public pricing). It maintains an AS9100D NSF-ISR-certified quality management system, a gating requirement for prime and government supplier qualification. The company is led by President Nathan Barnes, operates with 11–50 employees, and has no disclosed external investors or parent company, suggesting founder or employee ownership.
L.Garde firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- L.Garde
- Legal name
- L.Garde Inc
- Website
- http://www.lgarde.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- L.Garde Inc is a privately held Tustin, California aerospace firm designing, manufacturing, and qualifying deployable space structures — inflatable antennas, solar sails, deployable trusses, and MLI panels — primarily for U.S. government agencies (DARPA, NASA) and Tier 1 defense primes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
L.Garde industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerospace Deployable Structures
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE)
Keywords
Where L.Garde is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tustin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
L.Garde business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Defense/Aerospace Contract Manufacturing: L.Garde operates as a Tier 1 supplier to defense primes and government agencies, providing design, development, manufacturing, and qualification testing services for deployable space structures. Revenue derives from government defense contracts and aerospace programs.
- Custom Engineering Services: Systems engineering and skilled technician services for Skunk Works-type projects for Tier 1 primes and government agencies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
L.Garde product offering
Product offeringCore offering
L.Garde is a full-service design, development, manufacturing, and qualification test supplier specializing in deployable space and terrestrial structures. The company fabricates inflatable antennas, solar sails, deployable trusses, multi-layer insulation panels, and deployable target systems for Tier 1 defense primes and U.S. government agencies, while also developing proprietary analytical simulation tools (FAIM, FLATE, AWSOME) used to design ultra-thin membrane structures.
Product overview
L.Garde is a full-service design, development, manufacturing, and qualification testing supplier to Tier 1 primes and government agencies, specializing in deployable structures for space and terrestrial applications. The company offers a portfolio of products including Deployable Antennas for large aperture space applications, Solar Sails for space propulsion using their proprietary stripe net architecture, Space Structures such as the DARPA ISAT radar platform and deployable trusses, Terrestrial Structures including Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) panels, and Simulation and Modeling Tools (FAIM, FLATE, AWSOME) for membrane structure analysis and space weather prediction. With over 50 years of experience and more than 150 objects flown in space, L.Garde provides systems engineering and skilled technicians from concept to final integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 150 objects successfully flown in space
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use L.Garde
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
L.Garde technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
L.Garde partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NASAcoreNASA facilities used for ground deployment testing of L.Garde solar sails (83m2 and 318m2 in vacuum). NASA collaboration on the Sunjammer solar sail program including successful deployment of a 300m2 quadrant.
- DARPAcoreDARPA ISAT program for space-based radar platform structure (300m electronically steered array). Followed by Integrated Sensor IS Structure program for internal radar structure development.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
L.Garde competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Redwire Space: Redwire Space develops deployable structures and in-space manufacturing for satellites and commercial space. It is the closest public-market comparable to L.Garde given overlapping focus on inflatable/deployable components for next-generation space platforms.
- Sierra Space: Sierra Space (Sierra Nevada Corp subsidiary) develops inflatable space structures including the LIFE habitat and other large deployable systems. Directly comparable to L.Garde’s inflatable antenna and large-aperture heritage and pursues overlapping NASA and DoD customers.
Broad incumbents
- Northrop Grumman (Space Systems): Northrop Grumman builds large deployable structures (solar arrays, antennas, satellite buses) and competes as a prime on space-based radar and LEO programs that use L.Garde as a Tier-2 supplier. Broad incumbent in the same deployable-aerospace domain.
- Lockheed Martin Space: Lockheed Martin Space is a major aerospace prime with deployable solar arrays and large aperture programs in-house. It is a buyer of L.Garde-style specialized structures and a broad incumbent sharing the same NASA/DoD customer base.
- Ball Aerospace: Ball Aerospace designs and builds spacecraft, antennas, and deployable systems for NASA and DoD science and weather missions. Comparable as a Tier-1 buyer-of-L.Garde and as a broad incumbent in the deployable space structures market.
- Maxar Technologies: Maxar builds high-resolution imaging satellites and large deployable antennas/reflectors (e.g., the Jupiter fleet). It is a broad incumbent in deployable space structures and a likely customer/competitor for L.Garde's antenna technology.
- Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris): L3Harris produces in-space propulsion and space-based structures and is a likely peer across overlapping DoD/NASA programs. As a broad incumbent it competes for and procures deployable structural elements comparable to L.Garde's portfolio.
Emerging players
- NanoAvionics (now Kongsberg NanoAvionics): NanoAvionics is an emerging small-sat manufacturer with growing capabilities in deployable satellite subsystems. Comparable to L.Garde as a smaller emerging player in the broader deployable space structures category, though focused more on buses than large apertures.
Others
- Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI / Ansys): AGI (now Ansys) provides the System Tool Kit (STK) that L.Garde's AWSOME software integrates with. It is a technology/integration partner and an ecosystem peer in space mission modeling and simulation workflows.
Regional players
- SRC Inc. SRC Inc. is a US defense R&D firm active in space-based radar and counter-air programs that align with L.Garde's ISAT customer base. It is a US-focused regional/integrated defense peer relevant to adjacent DARPA/SDA mission areas.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
L.Garde social profiles
Digital presenceL.Garde financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
L.Garde leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
L.Garde funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
L.Garde M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about L.Garde
What does L.Garde do?
L.Garde is a full-service design, development, manufacturing, and qualification test supplier specializing in deployable space and terrestrial structures. The company fabricates inflatable antennas, solar sails, deployable trusses, multi-layer insulation panels, and deployable target systems for Tier 1 defense primes and U.S. government agencies, while also developing proprietary analytical simulation tools (FAIM, FLATE, AWSOME) used to design ultra-thin membrane structures.
Is L.Garde a public or private company?
L.Garde is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was L.Garde founded?
L.Garde was founded in 1971. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is L.Garde based?
L.Garde is headquartered in Tustin, United States, in the North America region.
How does L.Garde make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Defense/Aerospace Contract Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are custom Engineering Services.
Who are L.Garde's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Redwire Space and Sierra Space. Broad incumbents are Northrop Grumman (Space Systems), Lockheed Martin Space, Ball Aerospace, Maxar Technologies and Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris). NanoAvionics (now Kongsberg NanoAvionics) is listed as an emerging player. Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI / Ansys) is listed as an others. SRC Inc. is listed as a regional player.
Does L.Garde have an API?
No public API is recorded for L.Garde.
What industry is L.Garde in?
L.Garde's product category is Aerospace Deployable Structures. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAB, Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial), with a secondary code of IMABACAE, Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters. Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 3760.