Parachute

A parachute is a fabric device that slows descent by creating aerodynamic drag. Its canopy inflates in airflow, increasing resistance and reducing the speed of a falling person or object.

Aerodynamic drag: A force opposing an object's motion through a fluid, caused by interactions with the fluid. The parachute slows descent by producing drag against the surrounding air.
Paratrooper: A military personnel member trained to enter an area by parachuting from an aircraft. Parachutes enable troops to reach locations without landing the aircraft.
Leonardo da Vinci's parachute: A pyramid-shaped parachute design sketched by Leonardo da Vinci in the late fifteenth century. The sketch is an early proposal for a device that could descend safely through air.
Paraglider: A foot-launched aircraft with a flexible wing that sustains controlled flight using rising air and forward motion. Unlike a parachute's primary braking role, a paraglider is designed for extended flight.
Terminal velocity: The steady speed reached when an object's weight balances the upward drag force. An inflated canopy lowers the terminal velocity reached during descent.
Skydiving: A sport in which participants exit an aircraft, free-fall, and deploy parachutes for landing. Sport parachutes combine controlled deployment with steering and landing techniques.
Louis-Sébastien Lenormand: A French inventor who made a public parachute descent from a tower in 1783. His demonstration helped establish the parachute as a practical descent device.
BASE jumping: A sport involving parachute jumps from fixed objects such as buildings, antennas, spans, and cliffs. Its low exit heights leave little time for deployment compared with aircraft skydiving.
Ram-air parachute: A steerable parachute with an airfoil-shaped canopy formed by inflated fabric cells. Its pressurized cells create lift as well as drag, enabling controlled gliding.
Drogue parachute: A small parachute used to stabilize or slow a moving vehicle or assist deployment of a larger parachute. A drogue can stabilize a person or vehicle before the main canopy opens.

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