OXNARD : Firm Gets NASA’s Highest Award

An Oxnard firm has received the highest honor that NASA awards for its contribution and participation in the space shuttle program.

Del Aerospace Inc. has been named a Manned Flight Awareness Honoree by the National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration for its work on parts that ensure the safety of the space shuttle engines.

The firm manufactures equipment that ensures the safety of both the astronaut crew and the shuttles themselves, company officials said.

In winning the award, the company joins an elite group of shuttle contractors selected for the honor. Less than half a percent of all companies involved with the space shuttle program are chosen for the honor.

Del Aerospace President Barney Parkhill and Vice President James Parkhill received a tour of the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral last month, where they saw the Atlantis prior to its March 24 launch.