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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Engineers are continuing work on the Orion spacecraft this summer, including installing a new docking system and conducting heat shield testing ahead of the mission. Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 10 June 2026 The term car heat shield can apply to a few different things. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 June 2026 They are made up of a top plate and a heat shield, which is jettisoned before splashdown. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026 The good news is that Starship’s heat shield appeared to function well during reentry, with fewer signs of damage or degradation as the vehicle splashed down northwest of Australia. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Heat shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20shield. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

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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