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
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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 See all Example Sentences for heat shield 

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heat shield was in 1962

Dictionary Entries Near heat shield

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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