heat shield

American  

noun

Aerospace.

1. a coating or structure that surrounds part of the nose cone or other vulnerable surfaces of a spacecraft and, by heat absorption or ablation, protects them from excessive heating during reentry.

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heat shield British  

noun

1. a coating or barrier for shielding from excessive heat, such as that experienced by a spacecraft on re-entry into the earth's atmosphere

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heat shield Scientific  

1. A barrier that prevents a substance from absorbing heat energy from an outside source by absorbing and dissipating, or simply reflecting, that heat. Heat shields are commonly used to protect parts of a device from heat generated by its energy source, as in isolating the cabin of a car from its motor. Many spacecraft dissipate heat generated by friction with the atmosphere upon reentry using heat shields that melt and vaporize, dissipating the energy back into the atmosphere.

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Etymology

Origin of heat shield

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Their return journey will test an upgraded heat shield during the capsule's fiery re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

A top lieutenant of Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg for more than 20 years, Bosworth’s outspokenness and hard-charging style have made him a magnet for controversy—and, at times, a useful heat shield for his billionaire boss.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

The upper stage is to deploy a payload of 20 mock satellites and two "specially modified Starlink satellites" outfitted with cameras, which will analyze the spacecraft's heat shield.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

Initial inspections indicate the heat shield performed as expected, with no unusual issues observed.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

During the second orbit, the heat shield came loose.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson