Spacecraft Heat Shields Could Violently "Burst" When Plunging Into Alien Atmospheres

Heat shield design is one of the most critical aspects of missions that plan to either land on a planets (or moons) surface or return to our own. Spacecraft that have to survive the fiery, hypersonic plunge through an atmosphere require these systems. For decades, heat shields have been designed to slowly burn away in a process called ablation, which is intended to dissipate the incredible thermal energy or reentry. But, theres another, less understood phenomenon that affects them too - spallati...