// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Heat Shield
A protective layer on a spacecraft designed to absorb or deflect the extreme heat generated during re-entry into a planet's atmosphere.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A specialized thermal protection system (TPS) component, typically ablative or ceramic, designed to protect spacecraft and their contents from the extreme aerodynamic heating and plasma generated during high-speed atmospheric re-entry or hypersonic flight.
BACKGROUND
In spacecraft design, the function of the thermal control system (TCS) is to keep all the spacecraft's component systems within acceptable temperature ranges during all mission phases. It must cope with the external environment, which can vary in a wide range as the spacecraft is exposed to the extreme coldness found in the shadows of deep space or to the intense heat found in the unfiltered direct sunlight of outer space. A TCS must also moderate the internal heat generated by the operation of the spacecraft it serves.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Thermal Protection System
- Ablator
- Re-entry Shield
- TPS
USAGE NOTE
The integrity of the heat shield is paramount for the safe return of capsules and probes.