It's important to note that the first stage (which is about 70% of the rocket) is the part that is being reused. The top of the rocket (the second stage, the fa

It's important to note that the first stage (which is about 70% of the rocket) is the part that is being reused. The top of the rocket (the second stage, the fairings, and the payload) are not reused (At least not yet. They are working on recovering fairings and there are rumors of second stage reuse). When the stages separate, the first stage is going about 1.5 - 2.5 km/s. Then the second stage takes the payload the rest of the way to orbital speeds of 7+ km/s, and the first stage returns to earth. So the first stage is going fast (several thousand miles per hour) but not as fast as things that re-enter from orbit. It still does need heat shielding, but not as much as the space shuttle or a capsule.