launch pad

American  

Or launchpad

noun

1. the platform on which a missile or launch vehicle undergoes final prelaunch checkout and countdown and from which it is launched from the surface of the earth.

2. something that serves to launch or initiate.

   He used his legal experience as a launch pad for his career in politics.

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launch pad British  

noun

1. a platform from which a spacecraft, rocket, etc, is launched

2. an effective starting point for a career, enterprise, or campaign

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Etymology

Origin of launch pad

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Instead, you’re meant to feel like you’re standing on a launch pad outside.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Traveling at a top speed of just 0.82 mph, the crawler moved the massive Moon rocket steadily toward the launch pad.

From Science Daily • Jan. 19, 2026

Nasa's mega rocket has been moved to the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the final preparations get underway for the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

Last year, it also completed a record 21 launches of its Electron vehicle, which serves the small satellite market, and opened a new launch pad.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 15, 2026

After a final day of preparation, the two cosmonauts had come back to their cottage by the launch pad ready to rest.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• launching pad