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
After a great deal of analysis and discussion, NASA decided to stick with the same heat shield design for Artemis 2, a decision that drew objections from some in the spaceflight community.
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Mike Wall, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Thirteen minutes later, after their heat shield endured reentry temperatures of some 5,000 degrees, the spacecraft safely splashed down.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
On this mission, NASA flew the Orion capsule with a suboptimal heat shield.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
To mitigate safety concerns regarding the Orion capsule’s heat shield, NASA specifically chose a steeper reentry trajectory to shorten the time spent in the critical high-temperature range.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
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Mike Wall, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Thirteen minutes later, after their heat shield endured reentry temperatures of some 5,000 degrees, the spacecraft safely splashed down.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
On this mission, NASA flew the Orion capsule with a suboptimal heat shield.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
To mitigate safety concerns regarding the Orion capsule’s heat shield, NASA specifically chose a steeper reentry trajectory to shorten the time spent in the critical high-temperature range.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
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 22 Apr. 2026.
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