porch

Etymology

From Middle English porche, from Old French, from Latin porticus (“portico”). Doublet of portico.

noun

1. (architecture) A covered entrance to a building, whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof. A porch often has chair(s), table(s) and swings.
2. A portico; a covered walk.
3. The platform outside the external hatch of a spacecraft.
   By the time he had put on the backpack, McDivitt was ready to let him do more—to stand on the porch at least. 2012, Courtney G. Brooks, James M. Grimwood, Loyd S. Swenson, Chariots for Apollo