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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Starship's heat shield shows promise. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025 This Starship also incorporated several different heat shield designs to determine which worked best for reusability. Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 The latter performance is of particular note for tech billionaire Elon Musk, who is hoping to deliver reusable heat shields. Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025 SpaceX’s Starship rocket on Tuesday deployed its first batch of mock Starlink satellites in space and tested new heat shield tiles on its plunge through Earth’s atmosphere, clinching development milestones that had been held up by a streak of previous testing failures. Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2025 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 13 Sep. 2025.

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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