thermal shield

Blocks extreme temperatures

A thermal shield is a protective barrier designed to block or deflect heat, especially the intense heat generated during spacecraft reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

The term extends to any protective layer that insulates against extreme temperatures: The thermal shield on the probe withstood temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees.

Also called a heat shield.

heatTransferred thermal energy
insulationThermal transfer prevention
ablativeRemoving by erosion
spacecraftVehicle for outer space
space shuttleReusable crewed orbital vehicle

reentry · reentry vehicle · protection · barrier · ceramic · tiles · firewall · radiation · solar radiation · deflector · coating · protective layer · molten · atmosphere · friction · burn up · temperature · layer

Opposites

thermal function

thermal shieldheat source

Origin of thermal energy

heating element · furnace · burner · heater · heat lamp

protective function

thermal shieldheat sink

Device absorbing component warmth

heat exposure · exhaust port

Family

thermal, shield, therm, thermic, thermally, hypothermia, hyperthermia, thermometer, thermostat

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G