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
Starship launched with a new heat shield, which has 18,000 ceramic tiles and can withstand temperatures up to 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit (1,400 degrees Celsius).
—
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
The inspector general's report May 1 included new images of Orion's heat shield.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2024
Ground teams wiped the soot off of the craft's solar arrays and heat shield, then repainted portions of the capsule's radiators around the edge of Dragon's trunk section before rolling the vehicle back to the launch pad Friday.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2024
Isaacman described the thrill and anxieties of plummeting through Earth’s atmosphere with only the spacecraft’s heat shield protecting it and those inside from extreme temperatures.
—Lester Holt, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heat shield 
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
The inspector general's report May 1 included new images of Orion's heat shield.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2024
Ground teams wiped the soot off of the craft's solar arrays and heat shield, then repainted portions of the capsule's radiators around the edge of Dragon's trunk section before rolling the vehicle back to the launch pad Friday.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 28 Sep. 2024
Isaacman described the thrill and anxieties of plummeting through Earth’s atmosphere with only the spacecraft’s heat shield protecting it and those inside from extreme temperatures.
—Lester Holt, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heat shield
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heat shield.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to heat shield
Dictionary Entries Near heat shield
Cite this Entry
“Heat shield.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heat%20shield. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share