Spacecraft reentry shields use materials that slowly burn away to carry heat from the hull
To survive the intense heat of atmospheric reentry, spacecraft are equipped with protective shields designed to gradually vaporize and carry thermal energy away.
During reentry, vehicles hit the atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 20, generating friction temperatures as high as 1650 degrees Celsius. To protect the hull, engineers use ablative shields made of materials like carbon-phenolic that are designed to slowly burn away.
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