Frederica, DE – ILC Dover, the company that manufactures spacesuits for NASA, announced today that their new Houston, TX facility is fully staffed and operational.  Although ILC has maintained a presence in the Houston area since the 1960’s, this new facility has additional design, fabrication, and test capabilities.  The satellite office is targeting the support of on-orbit softgoods fabrication as a key element of their growth strategy.

The new facility, located just one-half mile from the JSC front gate, will allow the staff to work with customers to define requirements andentify optimum solutions for a wide range of softgoods challenges.  The staff is experienced with precision sewn fabrics and heat sealed bladders and films.  They can quickly produce iterative prototypes to present options and a refined design.  Services will include all aspects of design, development and evaluation through certification, manufacture and product support.  This unique Houston facility is sized to respond quickly to customer needs and has the full depth of the Dover, DE-based plant on hand.

“ILC Dover is pleased to be able to add new capabilities to our Houston site,” said Phil Spampinato, ILC Dover’s Space Systems Product Manager.  As this 40th anniversary of the first moon landing nears, ILC is proud of our contributions to NASA and looks forward to supporting a range of future space exploration initiatives”.

About ILC Dover Since 1947, ILC has been active in the design and development of products for both government and industry.  Most ILC products are comprised of softgoods materials –products that are flexible by nature and result in innovative solutions to customer problems.

Whether protecting personnel in hostile environments, containing potent pharmaceuticals, or developing unique inflatable devices, ILC has an enviable record of performance.  By drawing from a blend of highly qualified personnel and a sound base of both proven and innovative technologies (the same attributes that helped us put man on the moon and cushion rovers on Mars), ILC continues to develop reliable hardware and unique softgoods.

Our Government, commercial, and NASA customers rely on ILC’s multi-disciplined technical expertise to provide innovative softgoods solutions for a wide range of applications.  ILC Dover – Creating What’s Next.

For more information, contact: Don Lacey ILC Dover – Houston Business Manager Phone: 832-428-4395 Email: Donald.lacey-1@nasa.gov