▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁between ▁the ▁inner ▁and ▁outer ▁shell s ▁was ▁filled ▁with ▁a ▁layer ▁of ▁fi berg lass ▁ins ulation ▁as ▁additional ▁heat ▁protection . ▁ ▁Th erm al ▁protection ▁( he at ▁shield ) ▁ ▁An ▁ab l ative ▁heat ▁shield ▁on ▁the ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁C M ▁protected ▁the ▁caps ule ▁from ▁the ▁heat ▁of ▁re entry , ▁which ▁is ▁sufficient ▁to ▁m elt ▁most ▁met als . ▁This ▁heat ▁shield ▁was ▁composed ▁of ▁phen ol ic ▁formal de hy de ▁res in . ▁During ▁re entry , ▁this ▁material ▁char red ▁and ▁m elt ed ▁away , ▁absor bing ▁and ▁carrying ▁away ▁the ▁inten se ▁heat ▁in ▁the ▁process . ▁The ▁heat ▁shield ▁has ▁several ▁outer ▁cover ings : ▁a ▁p ore ▁se al , ▁a ▁mo ist ure ▁bar rier ▁( a ▁white ▁reflect ive ▁co ating ), ▁and ▁a ▁silver ▁My lar ▁thermal ▁co ating ▁that ▁looks ▁like ▁al umin um ▁fo il . ▁ ▁The ▁heat ▁shield ▁varied ▁in ▁thick ness ▁from ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁a ft ▁portion ▁( the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁caps ule , ▁which ▁faced ▁forward ▁during ▁re entry ) ▁to ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁crew ▁compart ment ▁and ▁forward ▁port ions . ▁Total ▁weight ▁of ▁the ▁shield ▁was ▁about ▁. ▁ ▁For ward ▁compart ment ▁The ▁forward ▁compart ment ▁was ▁the ▁area ▁outside ▁the ▁inner ▁pressure ▁shell ▁in ▁the ▁nose ▁of ▁the ▁caps ule , ▁located ▁around ▁the ▁forward ▁dock ing ▁tunnel ▁and ▁covered ▁by ▁the ▁forward ▁heat ▁shield . ▁The ▁compart