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heat shield
noun
: a barrier of ablative material to protect a space capsule from heat on its entry into an atmosphere
Examples of heat shield in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The other effort related to engine reuse is the development of an inflatable heat shield, with the help of NASA, to protect the Vulcan booster engines during reentry back into the atmosphere.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 27 June 2024
One problem that Starship encountered during its fourth test flight in June, Musk added, was the loss of heat shield tiles — or thousands of small, black hexagons affixed to the spacecraft’s exterior that are meant to shield the vehicle from extreme temperatures during reentry.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024
Upgraded heat shield tiles and steering fins endured temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees during the descent, working as planned to protect the spacecraft and guide it to an on-target splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2024
That’s how many hours SpaceX said its engineers have worked since the last flight in June in order to revamp the ship’s heat shield with more protections after some of the protective tiles were destroyed upon return in its last launch, the BBC reported.
—Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1962, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Heat shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20shield. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
heat shield
noun
: a barrier of insulation to protect a space capsule from heat on its return to earth
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