ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Maneuverable reentry vehicle

A maneuverable reentry vehicle is like a special spaceship that can come back into the atmosphere after being in outer space. It's called "maneuverable" because it can move around and change its direction while it's falling back down to Earth. This helps it to fly towards a specific target instead of just crashing randomly.

You can think of it like a paper airplane that you throw and then adjust its wings to make it fly towards a certain spot. Except a maneuverable reentry vehicle is much bigger and more complicated than a paper airplane!

These kinds of vehicles are used by countries like the United States to deliver things like weapons or scientific equipment to a specific target on Earth. The vehicle is launched into space on a rocket, and then a little while later it reenters the atmosphere and starts to fall towards the ground. But the vehicle can use small thrusters to adjust its course and make sure it lands exactly where it's supposed to.

Overall, a maneuverable reentry vehicle is a really special spaceship that can move around in the air while it's coming back to Earth, which helps it land in a specific spot instead of just crashing.