Component
Parachute
The decelerator that slows a spacecraft in an atmosphere after the heat shield has done its work — from the supersonic parachutes of Mars landers to the splashdown chutes of crew capsules.
Knowledge connections
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.