nose cone

American  

noun

Rocketry.

1. the cone-shaped forward section of a rocket or guided missile, including a heat shield and containing the payload.

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nose cone British  

noun

1. the conical forward section of a missile, spacecraft, etc, designed to withstand high temperatures, esp during re-entry into the earth's atmosphere

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Etymology

Origin of nose cone

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Mr Coulls says designer Sir Kenneth Grange's sleek blueprint, with an aerodynamic wedge-shaped nose cone, made the train "an absolute icon of engineering and design".

From BBC

The new-wave rock band The B-52s took their name from a beehive haircut style said to resemble the real bomber’s signature nose cone.

From Washington Times

O’Bellx units resemble rocket nose cones, and they sit on towers built on high-risk avalanche slopes.

From Scientific American

It was powered by three Raptors and had a nose cone and stabilizing body flaps.

From Scientific American

The new vehicle was given three of SpaceX's latest methane-burning Raptor engines, a nose cone and aerodynamic control surfaces - the large flaps at its top and and base.

From BBC