Severe damage to Russia’s only crew launch pad puts ISS missions in question 

Russia’s only active launch pad certified for crewed spaceflight has sustained significant damage following the November 27, 2025, liftoff of Soyuz MS-28, raising uncertainty about the country’s ability to support upcoming human and cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS). 

The Soyuz 2.1a rocket launched safely from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying two Roscosmos cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut to the ISS. The crew arrived on schedule and the mission proceeded normally. But soon after the vehicle cleared the tower, sections of the pad’s service platform collapsed into the flame trench beneath the launch structure. Images circulating online show debris scattered across the trench and the access building partially destroyed. 

RoscosmosRoscosmos confirmed the damage in a statement issued late the same day. The agency said it inspected the pad after the launch, as is standard practice, and that “damage to a number of launch pad elements was detected.” Roscosmos added that the condition of the pad is being assessed and that spare parts needed for restoration are available. Officials said repairs will begin soon, although they did not provide a timeline. 

The structure that collapsed is described as a service platform used to prepare the Soyuz booster on the pad. The platform sits inside the flame trench and supports pre-launch access, making it a critical component of the ground infrastructure. Without it, the pad cannot support a standard countdown or the pad flow required for crewed missions. 

Site 31/6 has been Russia’s only active crew-rated pad since 2020, when the historic Site 1 — known as “Gagarin’s Start” — was retired after nearly six decades of service. With Site 1 offline and no fully qualified backup facility available, the launch pad incident places Russia in a difficult position as it works to maintain a steady launch schedule to the ISS. 

Independent observers who have reviewed the imagery say the repairs may be more extensive than Roscosmos has suggested. Some analysts estimate that restoring the service platform and related systems could take many months and possibly longer, depending on structural assessments and the availability of components. Others note that Russia may consider using components from the mothballed Site 1 or sourcing elements from older launch infrastructure, though it remains unclear whether that would be feasible. 

For now, Russia has not announced changes to its ISS mission schedule. The agency routinely launches both crewed and uncrewed Soyuz vehicles from Site 31/6, and any extended outage could disrupt that cadence. Russia has not stated whether its other spaceports — Plesetsk or Vostochny — can support rapid modification for crew operations, and no official plan has been outlined. 

The Soyuz system has been a dependable part of human spaceflight for decades, and Baikonur has supported more than 400 launches since the early 1960s. 

Roscosmos said it will continue evaluating the condition of the pad and provide updates as repair work progresses.  The post Severe damage to Russia’s only crew launch pad puts ISS missions in question  appeared first on AeroTime.

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