ScienceJuly 5, 2026

reentry

/ˈriːˌɛntri/

Definition

The act of a spacecraft or object re-entering the Earth's atmosphere from outer space at extremely high speed.

Etymology

The word is formed from the Latin prefix 're-' meaning 'again' and the word 'entry,' which comes from the Old French 'entree.' It was adapted into English to specifically describe the phenomenon of returning into a space or atmosphere.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe the intense, high-speed phase of a spacecraft returning to Earth, specifically noting the engineering challenges involved in maintaining safety during this process.

The Rubin Observatory's 10-year movie of the universe is about to 'blow our minds,' chief scientist says

Read the full article ↗

Live Science

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.

Not for marketing. One email on launch day.