heat shield

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.

heat shield

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

heat shield

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of heat shield¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

It had no heat shield, so could not be used to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.

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Kosmos 482's lander capsule was built to survive the extreme heat and pressure of Venus's atmosphere, meaning it had a robust heat shield and durable structure.

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It was built to survive the extreme heat and pressure of Venus's atmosphere, meaning it has a robust heat shield and durable structure.

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The delay is needed to fix an issue with the capsule's heat shield, which returned from the previous test flight excessively charred and eroded, with cracks and some fragments broken off.

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SpaceX upgraded the software and reworked the heat shield, improving the thermal tiles.

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