English amusement park reopens Launch Pad tower after major refurbishment
Pleasure Beach Resort has reopened the 55-metre Launch Pad tower after major maintenance. The former Ice Blast received a space theme, fresh paintwork and a replaced pressure cylinder for a stronger launch.
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Pleasure Beach Resort has brought Launch Pad back into service after a winter of major maintenance. The launch tower in Blackpool remained closed during 2024 because substantial work was needed. For a while, the ride's future looked uncertain, but the park ultimately chose to invest in the tower many guests had known for years as Ice Blast.
The refurbishment went beyond routine upkeep. Scaffolding appeared around the structure for repainting, and the pressure cylinder was replaced. According to the park, that work should make the launch more forceful, with a top speed of 130 kilometres per hour. The ride also received a new identity: from 2025 onward, the former Ice Blast operates as Launch Pad, now with a space-themed presentation.
For visitors, the reopening brings a familiar thrill ride back into the Pleasure Beach Resort line-up. The tower was built by S&S Worldwide, opened in 1997 as PlayStation: The Ride and later became Ice Blast. With its new name and technical refresh, the attraction is no longer just a remnant from an earlier era, but part of the resort's wider renewal programme.