Editing Reusable launch vehicle (section)

=== Heat shield ===
{{See also|Atmospheric entry#Thermal protection systems}}
With possible inflatable [[Heat shield#Spacecraft|heat shield]]s, as developed by the US (Low Earth Orbit Flight Test Inflatable Decelerator - LOFTID)<ref name="noaa-20190703">{{cite web |last=Marder |first=Jenny |url=https://www.jpss.noaa.gov/news.html?122 |title=Inflatable Decelerator Will Hitch a Ride on the JPSS-2 Satellite |publisher=[[NOAA]] |date=3 July 2019 |access-date=30 October 2019}}</ref> and China,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/2020-05/05/c_1125945037.htm|title="胖五"家族迎新 送新一代载人飞船试验船升空——长征五号B运载火箭首飞三大看点 (LM5 Family in focus: next generation crewed spacecraft and other highlight of the Long March 5B maiden flight)|language=zh|website=Xinhua News|author=Xinhua Editorial Board|date=5 May 2020|access-date=29 October 2020|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807093711/http://www.xinhuanet.com/2020-05/05/c_1125945037.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> single-use rockets like the [[Space Launch System]] are considered to be retrofitted with such heat shields to salvage the expensive engines, possibly reducing the costs of launches significantly.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://westeastspace.com/2020/05/07/is-chinas-inflatable-space-tech-a-400-million-cost-savings-for-nasas-sls/ |date=7 May 2020 |access-date=29 October 2020 |website=westeastspace.com |author=Bill D'Zio |title=Is China's inflatable space tech a $400 Million Cost savings for NASA's SLS? |archive-date=10 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510233336/https://westeastspace.com/2020/05/07/is-chinas-inflatable-space-tech-a-400-million-cost-savings-for-nasas-sls/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Heat shields allow an orbiting spacecraft to land safely without expending very much fuel. They need not take the form of inflatable heat shields, they may simply take the form of heat-resistant tiles that prevent [[heat conduction]]. Heat shields are also proposed for use in combination with retrograde thrust to allow for full reusability as seen in [[SpaceX Starship (spacecraft)|Starship]].