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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 largest heat shield ever made for a crewed spacecraft, it's made of an epoxy novolac resin, called Avcoat, with special additives set in a fiberglass honeycomb matrix.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2024
The Parker Solar Probe in a clean room in Titusville, Fla., in 2018, after the installation of its heat shield.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2024
The other effort related to engine reuse is the development of an inflatable heat shield, with the help of NASA, to protect the Vulcan booster engines during reentry back into the atmosphere.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 27 June 2024
One problem that Starship encountered during its fourth test flight in June, Musk added, was the loss of heat shield tiles — or thousands of small, black hexagons affixed to the spacecraft’s exterior that are meant to shield the vehicle from extreme temperatures during reentry.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1962, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Heat shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20shield. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
heat shield
noun
: a barrier of insulation to protect a space capsule from heat on its return to earth
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