Understanding Sentence -- blasting things off

Question

I am having trouble in understanding the last sentence. Could you please simplify the sentence? Thanks!

IF HUMAN BEINGS should ever wish to build bases on the Moon, those bases will need
water. Residents will require it not only for their own sustenance but also as a raw
material for rocket fuel to power adventures farther afield—Mars, for example. Given
the cost of blasting things off the surface of Earth, however, such a base would be best
served by finding its water locally.

Source: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/10/26/there-is-now-cast-iron-evidence-for-water-on-the-moon

Barmar · Answer

From the dictionary.com definition of "blastoff"

the launching of a rocket, guided missile, or spacecraft.

Blasting off is the process if launching something, in your example it's referring to spacecraft that would carry water to the Moon.

Understanding Sentence -- blasting things off

One Answer

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question