PATTEN & NASA
Founded in 1947, the Patten Company is the country's leading innovative designer and
manufacturer of inflatable products for U.S. military, rescue and commercial applications.
Patten has developed, engineered and manufactured NASA life rafts since the first Apollo mission. Our rafts have been to the moon and back, been on every Space Shuttle mission, and were deployed around the world for NASA’s Skylab program. Patten has also been selected by NASA to work on space capsule flotation collars and lifesaving rafts for the Orion Mars project.
Apollo Mission
Apollo capsule with our 7-man recovery raft.
Apollo Mission Continued
Exiting the spacecraft.
Apollo 11 Splashdown
Apollo 11 makes a smooth splashdown in 1969, aided by our rafts and flotation devices.
Patten Aiding Recovery
Astronaut Thomas D. Akers afloat in our LRU-18/U life raft.
John Glenn
Astronaut John Glenn in one of our rafts.
Recovery Training
Ready to be picked up. Three astronauts training in our rafts.
