reentry vehicle
Atmosphere-piercing descent pod
A reentry vehicle is the part of a spacecraft or missile designed to survive the intense heat of reentering Earth's atmosphere.
The term applies especially to the warhead-carrying portion of ballistic missiles, which must withstand temperatures exceeding 3,000°F as they descend toward their targets.
Multiple warheads on a single missile are called MIRVs—multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles.
- spacecraftVehicle for outer space
- heat shieldBarrier against extreme temperatures
- ablative materialsSubstances that erode protectively
- capsuleEnclosed dose container
- glowing hotLuminous from intense heat
ballistic missile · blackout · warhead · countermeasures · aerodynamics · nosecone · Mach number · shock waves · ceramic tiles · thermal protection · lunar module · drag coefficient · roar · hypersonic flight · terminal velocity · ballistic trajectory · payload · Soyuz
reentry vehicleorbiter
Body circling another
space station · satellite · deep space probe · International Space Station · space telescope
reentry vehiclelaunch vehicle
Rocket carrying spacecraft upward
rocket · first stage · booster rocket · booster · launch system