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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread ablation #118380 12/27/2003 2:49 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Ablation (Ab*la"tion) n. [L. ablatio, fr. ablatus p. p. of auferre to carry away; ab + latus, p. p. of ferre carry: cf. F. ablation. See Tolerate.] 1. A carrying or taking away; removal. Jer. Taylor. 2. (Med.) Extirpation. Dunglison. 3. (Geol.) Wearing away; superficial waste. Tyndall. NASA has added a new use for this word. When spacecraft re-enter earth's atmosphere they are travelling at such a high speed that the friction of even rarified air produces tremendous heat, that could melt any metal. So a special ceramic tile had to be devised. These are able to withstand the heat until air resistance has decelerated the spacecraft to a safe landing speed.It was undetected failure of these special tiles that cause destruction of Columbia. As these tiles become incandescent, a small amount of surface material is lost - this is called "ablation". Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: ablation #118381 12/29/2003 6:14 PM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,109 Likes: 2 Worcester, MA wofahulicodoc Carpal Tunnel wofahulicodoc Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 11,109 Likes: 2 Worcester, MA James Michener, in Space, has a short foray into the difference between AB-lative (absolutely!) and a-BLATE-ive, with just the meaning you give. The aBLATive heat shield is supposed insulate as it gets hot and wears away slowly, gradually, grudgingly, as the reentering spacecraft is slowed by friction with the atmosphere. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: ablation #118382 12/29/2003 6:30 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 The insulation of the tiles is so important I blush to have omitted mention of it. They could have made the metal twice as thick and still have had cabin get lethally hot. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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