Heat Shields are parts that protect a rocket from the intense heat during re-entry. They come in sizes from 4-wide to 12-wide, and have two types: solid and hollow: solid heat shields are used to shield something solid (e.g. a capsule) and hollow which are used for shielding fairings with a payload inside. and have a heat tolerance of 6000 degrees Celsius or about 10,800 degrees Fahrenheit with some heat resistance when re-entry. The 4-wide one is free.
They also help prevent unwanted spacecraft rotation during re-entry. This is because the air flows around the rocket, rather than bunching up and pushing on one side of the rocket.
Trivia[]
- There was a bug that if you place a Heat Shield on a Fairing/Fairing Cone, it will adapt to the fairing. Also, if you select a fairing (cone), they won't clip. This was fixed in a later update.
- Actually, it can withstand 6180 degrees Celsius (11150 Fahrenheit,} until it melts.
- In reality, Heat Shields can only withstand 3126 degrees Celsius (5660 Fahrenheit.)
