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

Ahem, the next Artemis will have an improved heat shield.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

A redesigned heat shield, aimed at addressing the root cause of the unexpected damage during Artemis I, is already built.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

The heat shield is made of a material called Avcoat that is supposed to melt away during re-entry,

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Space agency officials’ blood pressure was further elevated as experts closely watched the performance of the craft’s heat shield — which astronauts rely on to slow them down and keep temperatures livable.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

During the second orbit, the heat shield came loose.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson