A major incident on the ground has overshadowed the successful launch of a new crew to the International Space Station (ISS).
Russia’s only active launch pad for human spaceflight, Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, sustained severe structural damage during the liftoff of the Soyuz MS-28 mission on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
The damage—specifically the collapse of a critical service structure into the exhaust trench—has led experts to warn that Russia may be temporarily grounded from sending humans into orbit for the first time in decades.
The Incident: Successful Launch, Catastrophic Aftermath
The mission itself was a success: the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut, lifted off as scheduled and successfully docked with the ISS hours later, with the crew reported safe and healthy.
However, post-launch inspections revealed a critical failure in the ground infrastructure:
• The Collapse: The movable service cabin (also referred to as a maintenance cabin or mobile service platform), an essential structure used for final crew access and preparing the Soyuz rocket, reportedly collapsed into the flame trench beneath the pad moments after the rocket cleared the launch tower.
• The Damage: Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, acknowledged “damage to a number of elements” of the launch complex, though outside analysts and media reports suggest the damage is extensive, potentially destroying crucial sensors, cabling, and the structural integrity of the mobile platform.
Impact on Russia’s Human Spaceflight Program
The Baikonur Cosmodrome’s Site 31/6 is currently Russia’s sole operational launchpad for ferrying crews and vital Progress cargo vehicles to the ISS. Its sudden incapacitation poses an immediate and significant threat to the country’s space continuity:
• Indefinite Delays: The next planned mission, an uncrewed Progress cargo freighter (Progress MS-33), and all future crewed Soyuz flights from this site now face indefinite postponement.
• Repair Timeline: While Roscosmos maintains that all necessary spare parts are available and repairs will begin promptly, space analysts caution that restoring the complex could take months, or even up to two years, effectively paralyzing Russia’s ability to conduct crewed missions during that period.
This incident marks an unprecedented disruption to Russia’s human spaceflight operations, which have been running continuously since the 1960s.
The long-term impact will force Roscosmos to reassess its launch infrastructure, potentially accelerating the use of its newer Vostochny Cosmodrome or relying more heavily on international partners like NASA and SpaceX to maintain access to the ISS.
For now, the focus is on a rapid assessment and repair plan for the damaged Baikonur pad.
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