Dynamical pressure p on a meteoroid during its atmospheric entry, depending on the zenith angle ɀ (in degrees). A basic ablation model was used, with the following parameters: initial mass m = 1000kg, entry speed υ = 20 km s⁻¹, density ρ = 1700 kg m⁻³, ablation efficiency η = 0.02, specific heat l = 10⁶ J kg⁻¹, shape factor A = 1.22 (i.e. sphere), friction coefficient C = 0.5. The resulting terminal mass m′ = 0.3 kg. The strength of OC meteoroids (3 to 5 MPa; Borovička et al. 2019; grey area) is comparable to p. CC meteoroids (≈ 0.5 MPa; dotted line) are substantially weaker than p. If fragmentation occurs, the ablation process becomes much more efficient; CC meteorites only survive for trajectories with ɀ ≳ 85°.