Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff. For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway.

Whats the definition of take off?

1a : to start off or away often suddenly : set out, depart took off for her trip. b : to leave the surface : begin flight. c : to spring into wide use or popularity.

What does T stand for in take off?

In a 2010 Mission News post on the NASA website for the EPOXI Mission, Jet Propulsion Laboratory media relations specialist DC Agle explained that the t in t-minus stands for time: “When a rocket is getting ready for liftoff, it will be lifting off at a specific time.