Real world How a launch pad works
A launch pad holds a rocket upright, connects it to fuel, power and data, and lets the crew board from a tall tower. At lift-off, the engines produce extreme heat and noise. At Kennedy Space Center, systems release huge floods of water onto the pad at launch to absorb sound and heat that could otherwise damage the rocket and pad. Flame trenches direct the exhaust away.
Launch Complex 39A in Florida has launched Apollo Moon missions, Space Shuttles and today's commercial rockets.
Possible future Launching from the Moon or Mars
Rockets landing and launching on the Moon blast dust and small rocks outward at high speed, which could damage nearby buildings. Settlements would need hard, flat landing pads, perhaps made by melting or binding soil, and berms (walls of soil) around them, placed well away from homes.
Real world Easier to leave
Escaping from the Moon takes much less energy than escaping from Earth, because the Moon's gravity is weaker and it has no air to push through. That is one reason people imagine the Moon as a stepping stone, with fuel made from lunar ice.
Art In this artwork
This illustration shows a rocket beside its tall launch tower.
Look closer
- Look at the tower beside the rocket.
- Where would the exhaust go at lift-off?
Think about it
- Is a launch pad a good neighbor? What trade-offs does it bring?
- Why is it easier to launch from the Moon than from Earth?
- How would you protect buildings from flying dust?
Key words
- Launch pad
- The platform a rocket lifts off from.
- Flame trench
- A channel that carries rocket exhaust away.
- Escape velocity
- The speed needed to break free of a world's gravity.
Sources
The real-world facts on this page are based on these sources:
- NASA Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39 history and sound suppression systems
- NASA, Artemis program overview, including Gateway and plans for a lunar base camp
