heat shield

noun

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Definition of heat shield

: a barrier of ablative material to protect a space capsule from heat on its entry into an atmosphere

Recent Examples of heat shield from the Web

Not only will campers build and launch their own rockets, but train like an astronaut on the Mutli-Axis Trainer, design a protective heat shield and perform a simulated mission.

— susan b. barnes, USA TODAY, "Leave the kids behind: Summer camp for adults," 6 July 2018
Davis was reportedly given the material — two paperweights, one containing a small lunar rock, and the other containing a piece of the Apollo 11 heat shield — from her late husband, who worked as an engineer on the Apollo 11 mission.

— sarah gray, Fortune, "Woman Sues NASA Over a Vial of Moon Dust Allegedly Given to Her by Neil Armstrong," 12 June 2018
After the recall, Polaris received reports of heat shields coming loose or falling off of the 2015 Ranger, including reports of fires.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Polaris to pay $27.4 million in off-road vehicle case," 2 Apr. 2018
The engines also have a new heat shielding to protect them from the high temperatures during the plunge through the atmosphere.

— loren grush, The Verge, "SpaceX’s last Falcon 9 upgrade could finally make reusable rockets cost-effective," 9 May 2018
Ask the manufacturer to install heat shields in cabinets that will be located next to the oven.

— sarah stebbins, ELLE Decor, "How To Choose The Best Kitchen Cabinets," 8 Apr. 2016
Yet there’s just enough atmosphere that descending vehicles still need some kind of heat shield to keep from burning up.

— loren grush, The Verge, "Why NASA is launching a spacecraft to Mars to feel the planet as it rumbles," 3 May 2018
Polaris received ten reports of heat shield incidents, including five reports of fires, the CPSC said.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Polaris to pay $27.4 million in off-road vehicle case," 2 Apr. 2018
In addition, the CPSC charged that between December 2013 and July 2016, Polaris received 36 reports of fires associated with 2014 Rangers, and made two design changes to the Rangers to prevent the heat shields from becoming loose and falling off.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Polaris to pay $27.4 million in off-road vehicle case," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heat shield.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.