ablate
v.v. to remove or wear away a surface by using heat or friction. It is often used when talking about spacecraft or materials that protect against extreme temperatures.
v. to remove or wear away a surface by means of heat, friction, or chemical action. Often describes the process of material removal from a spacecraft during re-entry into the atmosphere.
The heat shield ablates to protect the pilot.
Engineers designed the rocket to ablate its outer layer during the intense friction of atmospheric re-entry.
The ablation of the protective coating is a controlled process that ensures the underlying structure remains intact until the vehicle reaches a safe altitude.
From Middle English ablat (“taken away”), from Latin ablātus, past participle of auferō (“to remove”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). First attested in the 1500s, it became obsolete by the early 1600s. Returned into use as a back-formation from ablation.