Russia Cut Off From ISS After Launch Pad Structure Collapses

Author's Summary

A Soyuz MS-28 launch incident wrecked vital launch pad gear at Baikonur, halting Russia's crewed and cargo missions to the ISS indefinitely and marking their first such blackout in decades. (148 characters)

Incident Overview

The Soyuz MS-28 launch on November 27 damaged key equipment on the launch pad. This has grounded Russia's missions to the International Space Station for the foreseeable future. Drone footage later revealed the 144-ton mobile maintenance cabin flipped upside down in a flame trench after a pressure surge from the rocket's engines pulled it from its nook.

Impact on Launches

Site 31/6 at Baikonur, Russia's sole pad certified for crewed Soyuz and Progress cargo flights to the ISS, is now out of service until repairs. Other pads like Plesetsk or Vostochny lack suitability or certification for human spaceflight. The next Progress MS-33 cargo launch, set for December 21, faces indefinite delay.

"The main issue with the structure collapse is that it puts Site 31/6 — the only Russian launch site capable of launching crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) — out of service until the structure is fixed."

Repair Outlook

Experts deem the cabin's damage too severe for fixes, requiring a new or spare unit. Restoration could take up to two years, depriving Russia of human spaceflight capability for the first time since 1961. Space analyst Vitaly Yegorov noted Russia has "lost the ability to send humans into space."

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Gizmodo Gizmodo — 2025-12-01

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