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 base absorbed most of the heat, so researchers designed a heat shield that boiled away as the capsule shot through the atmosphere. Discover Magazine, 1 July 2024 The crew capsule has a heat shield to survive reentry and safely return astronauts or cargo to Earth. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 29 June 2024 The Starship's heat shields protected the craft as the atmosphere naturally slowed its descent without the use of engines to navigate toward the Earth's surface. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 6 June 2024 Such heat shields have never been tested at the speeds a spacecraft returning from the moon will experience. Ramin Skibba, WIRED, 16 Nov. 2022 See all Example Sentences for heat shield 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heat shield.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 26 Jul. 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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