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
None of the experts interviewed by CNN dispute this characterization of why the Artemis I heat shield did not perform as expected.
—
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
The Orion service module, which contains the engines, propellant, water and experiments, will then separate from the crew module, exposing the capsule’s heat shield, which will protect the crew from the extreme temperature of re-entry.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
Residents looked on in awe as atmospheric friction brought on by the blistering speed of re-entry wreathed the capsule's heat shield in glowing plasma.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Standard heat shields are mostly designed to erode and burn away during re-entry.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heat shield
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.
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
The Orion service module, which contains the engines, propellant, water and experiments, will then separate from the crew module, exposing the capsule’s heat shield, which will protect the crew from the extreme temperature of re-entry.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
Residents looked on in awe as atmospheric friction brought on by the blistering speed of re-entry wreathed the capsule's heat shield in glowing plasma.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Standard heat shields are mostly designed to erode and burn away during re-entry.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heat shield
Cite this Entry
“Heat shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20shield. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
