Parachute

A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who can exit from an aircraft at height and descend safely to earth.

This article is about the device. For sports and other activities involving a parachute, see Parachuting. For other uses, see Parachute (disambiguation).
"Parachutes" redirects here. For the albums, see Parachutes (Coldplay album) and Parachutes (Frank Iero and the Patience album).

A parachute is usually made of a light, strong fabric. Early parachutes were made of silk. The most common fabric today is nylon. A parachute's canopy is typically dome-shaped, but some are rectangles, inverted domes, and other shapes.

A variety of loads are attached to parachutes, including people, food, equipment, space capsules, and bombs.

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