Ablation
Ablation testing is an important part of NASA's re-entry module development.
Burning or melting away of solid meteoroid material (metal and/or rock), during atmospheric entry. Typical meteor velocities range from 15 to 30 kilometers per second. At this extreme speed, the air surrounding the meteor is superheated by pressure and friction which, in turn, heats the surface of the meteoroid, causing it to melt and flow away.
