Russia mistakenly destroys its sole means of transporting astronauts to space

Russias sole manned space launch facility has been heavily damaged following Thursdays rocket lift-off. The Baikonur Cosmodrome, located in Kazakhstan, will remain out of operation until extensive repairs are completed, according to Roscosmos. This marks the first instance in decades that Russia has temporarily lost the capacity to send astronauts into orbit.

The Soyuz MS-28 mission itself was successful, with all three crew members, including NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian cosmonauts, arriving safely at the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday evening.

Footage released by Roscosmos shows part of the launchpad collapsing into the exhaust trench due to the rockets force. Following the incident, the agency confirmed that multiple components of the launch complex were damaged and are currently being evaluated. Roscosmos stated that all necessary replacement parts are available and repairs are planned in the near future.

Experts have raised concerns over the repair timeline, noting that essential cabling, sensors, and sections of the service bay may have been destroyed. Russian space analyst Vitaliy Egorov highlighted that Pad 31/6 is the only launch site used for ISS missions and was also slated for future launches to the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS). He emphasized that Russia has effectively lost human launch capability for the first time since 1961, underlining the urgency of restoring or modernizing a launchpad.

The current Soyuz crew will remain aboard the ISS for eight months, with a planned return to Earth in July 2026.

Meanwhile, Russia is progressing with its independent orbital platform, the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS), which is scheduled to receive its first module in 2027. The ISS is expected to be decommissioned in 2030.

Author: Sophia Brooks