Russia’s only crewed-mission launch site has suffered major damage following a rocket launch on Thursday.
The Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan will be unable to host launches until repairs are made, according to the space agency Roscosmos, marking the first time in decades that Russia has lost the ability to send people to space.
The launch of the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft was otherwise successful, with none of the crew members injured.
The three-person crew, which included Nasa astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian crewmates, made it safely to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday evening.
Roscosmos shared footage of the launch, which showed part of the launchpad collapse into an exhaust trench below as a result of the rocket’s blast.
The space agency said that “damage to a number of elements of the launchpad was detected” following the launch.
“The launch complex’s condition is currently being assessed,” Roscosmos told state media. “All necessary backup components are available for restoration, and the damage will be repaired in the near future.”
The Independent has reached out to Roscosmos for more information.
Analysts have questioned the timeframe for repairs, with critical cabling, sensors and other sections of the launchpad’s service bay believed to be destroyed.
“This is the only launchpad Roscosmos uses for the ISS program, and in the future it was supposed to be used for launches to the Russian Orbital Station,” Russian space commentator Vitaliy Egorov wrote on Telegram.
“In effect, from this day Russia has lost the ability to launch humans into space, something that has not happened since 1961. Now it will be necessary to quickly repair this launchpad or modernise another one.”
The Soyuz crew will spend eight months aboard the ISS before returning to Earth in July 2026.
Russia is currently developing its own independent orbital outpost, called the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS), with the ISS set to be decommissioned in 2030.
The first ROSS module is planned for launch in 2027.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Instructions to Pick the Right Dental Embed Trained professional: An Exhaustive Aide - 2Remain Fit and Sound with These Exercise Fundamentals
- 3Manual for Big name Work out schedules
- 42 of Earth's rarest lightning phenomena captured simultaneously in once-in-a-lifetime photo
- 5People are getting their news from AI – and it’s altering their views
- Consumers advised to dispose of 19 cooking pans due to lead leaching risk, FDA reports
- What to know about MIT professor Nuno Loureiro and the investigation into his shooting
- Underestimated Metropolitan Experience Urban communities On the planet
- The Effect of Online Organizations on Society: Beating the Difficulties
- Instructions to Explore the Therapy Choices for Cellular breakdown in the lungs
- Sally Rooney books may be withdrawn from UK sale over Palestine Action ban, court told
- Computerized Domains d: A Survey of \Vivid Undertakings\ Computer generated Reality Game
- Change Your Skincare: 10 Inventive Magnificence Gadgets
- Instructions to Floss Appropriately and Forestall Gum Sickness
