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

Nearby Tundergarth Church, which overlooks the field where the nose cone was found, is also a site of remembrance.

From BBC

That will help workers install the tips of the rockets, known as the forward assembly, which includes the nose cone and forward skirt.

From Los Angeles Times

Once the solid rocket motors are installed, the final piece to complete the solid rocket boosters are the tips — the so-called forward assembly, including the nose cones and forward skirts.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Science Daily