What is the use of a parachute?
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag. Parachutes are usually made out of cloth. Parachutes are often used, for example, to slow the descent of an object falling to Earth or another celestial body within an atmosphere. Drogue parachutes are also sometimes used to aid horizontal deceleration of a vehicle (a fixed-wing aircraft, or a drag racer), or to provide stability (tandem free-fall, or space shuttle after touchdown). The word “parachute” comes from a French word with a Latin prefix: “para”, meaning “against” or “counter” in Latin, and “chute”, the French word for “fall”. Therefore “parachute” actually means “against the fall”.
