Here's something that puzzles me:
Is it only aerodynamic objects that heat up on re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere?
Surely a flat surface moving downwards with gravity would be subject to terminal velocity?
Why do Soyuz capsules get hot, surely the speed of air hitting them would slow them down, you don't see parachutists in flames...
... or does it all have to do with the electrically charged ionosphere?