US EditionRussia Accidentally Destroys Its only Working Launch Pad as Astronauts Lift Off to ISS
The 8U216 maintenance cabin was dislodged by rocket thrust during Soyuz MS-28 launch, leaving Russia without a crew-capable pad for the ISS with repairs possibly taking two years.
- On November 27, 2025, Soyuz MS-28 launched from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying two Roscosmos cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut to the ISS, damaging Russia's only crewed-capable pad.
- During liftoff a pressure difference and one million pounds of thrust pulled the 144-tonne maintenance cabin out of its mooring and tossed it into the flame trench at Site 31/6.
- Drone footage and photos reportedly show the maintenance cabin upside down in the flame trench, and experts cited by NASASpaceflight say replacement could take two years.
- Roscosmos says the damage will be repaired shortly, but the Progress MS-33 launch scheduled for December 21 will likely be delayed, and the next crewed Soyuz MS-29 in July 2026 remains at risk.
- Baikonur, built in the late 1950s and leased to Russia for $115 million a year, is Russia's only crewed launch site, as Vostochny and Plesetsk cannot launch crewed Soyuz rockets, Jeff Manber said.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Damage to the Baikonur launchpad has left Russia unable to send people into space. Why doesn’t Roscosmos have a backup plan?
The launch of Soyuz MS-28 on November 27, 2025 On November 27, the Soyuz MS-28 carrying a crew of cosmonauts lifted off from Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which Russia operates in Kazakhstan, on its way to the International Space Station. After the launch, scorched metal structures were discovered in the flame pit beneath the pad. It soon became clear that a crucial part of the launch system — a service cabin used by technicians to prepare…
What would Russia's inability to launch crewed missions mean for ISS?
Russia's only launch site capable of sending humans to orbit has suffered serious damage that may take two years to fix. Will NASA keep supporting the ISS without Russian involvement, or is this the end for the space station?
Russia accidentally destroys its only working launch pad as astronauts lift off to ISS
The recent launch of a Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts to the International Space Station has caused significant damage to Russia's only launch pad capable of sending humans into space.
Severe Accident Destroys Russia's Ability to Launch Astronauts Into Space
A botched Soyuz launch has dealt significant damage to Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome spaceport in Kazakhstan, leaving the nation without the ability to launch astronauts to the International Space Station until repairs are completed. The November 27 launch saw the Soyuz MS-28 crew and spacecraft successfully travel to the aging orbital outpost. However, as NASASpaceflight reports, drone footage shows the platform’s mobile maintenance cabin lying …
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