For almost a century, no other company has compiled a proven track record
and precedent setting milestones that demonstrate scope of capability,
quality of product and successful performance.
1919
Leslie Irvin makes the first freefall parachute descent; Irvin Airchute
Company is formed.
1922
Leslie Irvin forms the Caterpillar Club for airmen
saved by a parachute.
1933
Irvin Parachute officially adopted by 37 air forces worldwide.
1944
D-Day, the largest liberation force in human history is launched with
the Allied airborne forces using Irvin designed parachutes.
1960
First aerial recovery of a space capsule launched from an orbiting
satellite (Discoverer 13) uses an Irvin parachute recovery system.
1963
Landing brake-parachute developed by Irvin for SR-71.
1965
Irvins first mortar deployed Spin/Stall Parachute Recovery
System used on DC9 development aircraft.
1976
Goodyear, in collaboration with Irvin, used a parachute decelerator
system to safely land the Viking spacecraft on Mars.
1978
Irvin flight termination & mid-air recovery system used on
the Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM).
1991
Space Shuttle Endeavor successfully lands using an Irvin brake-parachute.
1996
Irvin designed and tested a cluster of 3 Ringsail parachutes to
recover the Boeing EELV concepts 20,000 lb. propulsion module
demonstrating the technology to successfully return the first stage
rocket engine to a water landing for subsequent recovery, refurbishment
and re-use.
1998
World-record largest parachute cluster flight for the Kistler
K-1 development. Irvin advanced the state-of-the-art of large spacecraft
recovery systems.
1999
F-22 development aircraft successfully conducts flight tests with
Irvins self-monitoring, pilot-actuated Spin/Stall Parachute
Recovery System.
2003
NASA Pad Abort Demonstrator program flies 156ft diameter Ringsail
clusterrecovery system test, demonstrating technology for a
future manned spacecraft crew.
2004
Cassini-Huygens missionTitan moon of Saturn exploration.
Irvin provided parachute design and manufactured the parachute system.
2005
SpaceX - Irvin developed the parachute recovery system for 1st
stage recovery of Falcon I commercial launch vehicle for low cost
transport of satellites to low earth orbit.