heat.

Space rocket launch platforms are primarily built using high-strength, heat-resistant materials such as reinforced concrete and structural steel alloys, often coated with ablative or ceramic insulation to withstand the extreme thermal and acoustic loads from rocket exhaust.

Steel flame deflectors are sometimes water-cooled and shaped to redirect exhaust laterally, minimizing damage.

NASA’s pads, for example, use high-performance concrete mixed with heat-resistant aggregates, while flame trenches are lined with refractory bricks or thermal tiles.

These materials must endure temperatures exceeding 3,000 °C, intense vibration, and supersonic gas flows during liftoff.