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
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But in a normal descent, Orion will hit the water, heat shield first, at a velocity of 15 to 17 mph and, hopefully for the crew, stay in that orientation without flipping over due to waves or wind.
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William Harwood, CBS News, 30 Mar. 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, 26 Mar. 2026
Future heat shields will feature design changes to fix the issue —specifically, a more permeable layer of outer material — NASA officials said.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
It's packed with cutting-edge tech — from its launch abort system that can pull the crew to safety in seconds, to its heat shield, the largest ever built, protecting them on reentry at 25,000 miles an hour.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2026
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William Harwood, CBS News, 30 Mar. 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, 26 Mar. 2026
Future heat shields will feature design changes to fix the issue —specifically, a more permeable layer of outer material — NASA officials said.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
It's packed with cutting-edge tech — from its launch abort system that can pull the crew to safety in seconds, to its heat shield, the largest ever built, protecting them on reentry at 25,000 miles an hour.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 25 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 2026.
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