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How does a meteoroid become a meteorite after entering Earth’s atmosphere?

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Meteorite The Hoba meteorite, lying where it was discovered in 1920 near Grootfontein, Namibia. The largest meteorite on Earth and an iron meteorite by classification, it consists of a nickel-iron alloy and is estimated to weigh about 60 tons.

A meteoroid becomes a meteorite by surviving its passage through Earth’s atmosphere.12

While most meteoroids are destroyed by ablation and fragmentation caused by intense frictional heating and aerodynamic pressure, some objects reach the surface if they possess a large enough initial mass, high crushing strength, or a relatively low entry velocity.3

As a meteoroid enters the atmosphere, its kinetic energy is converted into heat, creating the luminous phenomenon known as a meteor. If the object is not completely consumed, it undergoes "dark flight"—a final descent at low velocity after atmospheric braking has slowed it down. Upon landing, the object is classified as a meteorite. These survivors often feature a dark, glassy "fusion crust" resulting from surface melting during their fiery descent.312