nosecone
Missile's pointed front
A nosecone is the pointed front section of a rocket, missile, or aircraft—shaped to reduce air resistance during flight.
It often houses instruments, warheads, or crew compartments.
The term extends to any similarly shaped protective cover: the nosecone of a racing bicycle helmet.
During reentry, a spacecraft's nosecone bears extreme heat.
Aerodynamic exterior panel
- payloadCarried freight or charge
- capsuleEnclosed dose container
- reentryComing back in
- heat shieldBarrier against extreme temperatures
ablative · thermal protection · booster · stage · fuselage · spacecraft · shuttle · orbiter
Made smooth and efficient
- fairingAerodynamic exterior panel
- airflowMovement of atmosphere
- laminarArranged in thin layers
- slipstreamAerodynamic wake zone
wind tunnel · sleek · tapered · ogive · pointed · friction · velocity · hypersonic
Munition's explosive section
- ballisticOf hurled objects
- intercontinentalSpanning multiple continents
- cruiseLeisurely ocean voyage
- tacticalStrategically planned
reentry vehicle · guidance system · armament · ordnance · military · nuclear · Trident · ICBM
High-velocity passenger locomotive
- racing carHigh-speed competition vehicle
- land speed recordMaximum certified ground velocity
- streamlinerWind-cheating vehicle design
- bobsledSteered sled for icy chutes
luge · dragster · speedboat · hydroplane · fuselage · cowling · aerodynamic
fairing
Aerodynamic exterior panel
heat shield · ablative · thermal protection · booster · stage · fuselage · spacecraft · shuttle · orbiter · satellite
streamlined
Made smooth and efficient
slipstream · wind tunnel · sleek · tapered · ogive · pointed · friction · velocity · hypersonic · supersonic
warhead
Munition's explosive section
- ballisticOf hurled objects
- intercontinentalSpanning multiple continents
- cruiseLeisurely ocean voyage
tactical · reentry vehicle · guidance system · armament · ordnance · military · nuclear · Trident · ICBM · projectile
bullet train
High-velocity passenger locomotive
- racing carHigh-speed competition vehicle
- land speed recordMaximum certified ground velocity
- streamlinerWind-cheating vehicle design
bobsled · luge · dragster · speedboat · hydroplane · fuselage · cowling · aerodynamic
- rocket partssolid rocket booster, fuel tanks, booster, nozzles, thruster
- rocketryrocket, rockets, rocket fuel, rocket engine, rocket engines
- Aerodynamic Shapesteardrop, airfoil, fairing, bullet shape, streamlined body
- Gravity Racinggravity racer, soapbox, downhill racer, coasting, downhill run
- kartingkart, karting, helmet, track, lap
- reentryreentry, reentry vehicle, reentry capsule, heat shield, ablative