nose cone

American  

noun

Rocketry.

1. the cone-shaped forward section of a rocket or guided missile, including a heat shield and containing the payload.

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nose cone British  

noun

1. the conical forward section of a missile, spacecraft, etc, designed to withstand high temperatures, esp during re-entry into the earth's atmosphere

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Etymology

Origin of nose cone

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Anne and Ross were both stationed at Tundergarth, in the field where the plane's nose cone lay.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

Both groups use instruments hitched to the nose cone to ensure that only the freshest, most undisturbed air is sampled.

From Science Daily • Oct. 16, 2023

Later, the tip of the solid rocket boosters — the forward assembly, including the nose cone and forward skirt — will be installed atop the solid rocket motors.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2023

That projectile, its nose cone wheeled to the launchpad by a bicycle, put a small payload 124 miles above the Earth.

From New York Times • Jul. 4, 2023

Bringing the orbital maneuvering system online, he fired a sustained burn from the nose cone array.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir