Gemini Heat Shield, Ablated

A heat shield protected the two-astronaut Gemini spacecraft against the enormous heat of reentry into the atmosphere, which began at a velocity of more than 27,500 kilometers (17,000 miles) per hour. The dish-shaped shield created an atmospheric shock wave that held off most of the heat, while the rest was dissipated by the erosion of the shield's material. Gemini's heat shield was derived from ballistic-missile warhead technology.