Space industry giants visit fabrics factory
Image source, HFL/SCM
Representatives from Nasa and Space X were among attendees at the Devon factory
Nasa and Elon Musk's Space X were among industry giants to visit a factory which provides parachute material for cosmic exploration.
Heathcoat Fabrics in Tiverton, Devon has been instrumental in supplying materials to slow down spacecraft as they land on a planet or return to Earth.
Also among delegates for the parachute engineering conference was Blue Origin - known for the all-female spaceflight in April 2025 during which the factory's fabrics were used.
Peter Hill, director at Heathcoat Fabrics, said: "We're proud to be putting Devon on the map as a hub for space innovation."
Historic Devon factory makes space going fabric
16/06/2026
Image source, HFL/SCM
The firm is also creating parachutes to bring pharmaceuticals developed in space back down to Earth
Hill added: "This is a chance to showcase the incredible work our team does to support missions that push the boundaries of human achievement."
He said the firm had a "long association" with making parachute fabric which dates back to before World War Two and has progressed through to missions to Mars.
"More and more companies are taking things to space and need to bring them back again," he added.
He said this includes pharmaceuticals which need to be manufactured in micro-gravity conditions before being parachuted to Earth.
"We're working with the MOD and the US Department of Defence on chemical warfare protection - protective clothing and lightweight parachute systems."
He said they would continue to focus on innovation to "meet the needs of an evolving market".
Rob Sinclair from Blue Origin attended the conference., external
He said: "We've had Gayle King and Katy Perry come back safely to Earth with parachutes using fabric that was made right here in Devon."
Image source, HFL/SCM
The parachute engineering conference was held in London before delegates headed to Devon
Clara O'Farrell from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Nasa, said the fabric firm had been key to its missions.
She said she had had the "great fortune" of being part of the team to have landed the Mars Persevereance Rover.
O'Farrell added: "We partnered with the guys here to manufacture the fabric that we used to assemble the parachute that successfully landed that Rover on Mars.
"We hope to continue that partnership in future space missions."
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Heathcoat Fabrics, a historic factory in Tiverton, Devon, manufactures parachute materials used by major space agencies and companies. Representatives from Nasa, Space X, and Blue Origin attended a parachute engineering conference in London before visiting the facility. The company has supplied fabrics for spacecraft landings for decades, including the Mars Perseverance Rover mission. Heathcoat is now developing applications for pharmaceutical transport from space and defence protective equipment, working with the MOD and US Department of Defence alongside continued space industry partnerships.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Image source, HFL/SCM
Representatives from Nasa and Space X were among attendees at the Devon factory
Nasa and Elon Musk's Space X were among industry giants to visit a factory which provides parachute material for cosmic exploration.
Heathcoat Fabrics in Tiverton, Devon has been instrumental in supplying materials to slow down spacecraft as they land on a planet or return to Earth.
Also among delegates for the parachute engineering conference was Blue Origin - known for the all-female spaceflight in April 2025 during which the factory's fabrics were used.
Peter Hill, director at Heathcoat Fabrics, said: "We're proud to be putting Devon on the map as a hub for space innovation."
Historic Devon factory makes space going fabric
16/06/2026
Image source, HFL/SCM
The firm is also creating parachutes to bring pharmaceuticals developed in space back down to Earth
Hill added: "This is a chance to showcase the incredible work our team does to support missions that push the boundaries of human achievement."
He said the firm had a "long association" with making parachute fabric which dates back to before World War Two and has progressed through to missions to Mars.
"More and more companies are taking things to space and need to bring them back again," he added.
He said this includes pharmaceuticals which need to be manufactured in micro-gravity conditions before being parachuted to Earth.
"We're working with the MOD and the US Department of Defence on chemical warfare protection - protective clothing and lightweight parachute systems."
He said they would continue to focus on innovation to "meet the needs of an evolving market".
Rob Sinclair from Blue Origin attended the conference., external
He said: "We've had Gayle King and Katy Perry come back safely to Earth with parachutes using fabric that was made right here in Devon."
Image source, HFL/SCM
The parachute engineering conference was held in London before delegates headed to Devon
Clara O'Farrell from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Nasa, said the fabric firm had been key to its missions.
She said she had had the "great fortune" of being part of the team to have landed the Mars Persevereance Rover.
O'Farrell added: "We partnered with the guys here to manufacture the fabric that we used to assemble the parachute that successfully landed that Rover on Mars.
"We hope to continue that partnership in future space missions."
Follow BBC Devon on X, external, Facebook, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk, external.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Heathcoat Fabrics in Tiverton, Devon supplies parachute material for spacecraft landings and cargo recovery Nasa, Space X, and Blue Origin representatives visited the factory The company has made parachute fabrics since before World War Two Heathcoat's fabrics were used in the Mars Perseverance Rover landing Blue Origin's all-female spaceflight in April 2025 used fabrics from the factory The company is developing parachute systems for pharmaceutical transport from space Heathcoat works with the MOD and US Department of Defence on protective clothing and parachute systems Devon is a hub for space innovation The factory's work pushes the boundaries of human achievement
Read the full story at BBC ↗
- Heathcoat Fabrics in Devon supplies parachute materials used by Nasa, Space X, and Blue Origin for spacecraft landings and cargo recovery
- The factory has made parachute fabrics since before World War Two and now supports missions including Mars Perseverance Rover landings
- Space industry representatives visited the Devon factory for a parachute engineering conference; the company is expanding into pharmaceutical transport and defence applications