A critical launch infrastructure used for sending all Russian crews into space sustained significant damage today following the successful liftoff of the Soyuz MS-28 mission. While the spacecraft reached orbit and docked with the International Space Station (ISS) without issue, the launch pad beneath it — the historic Site 31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome — suffered an unexpected structural collapse moments after the rocket departed.
File photo of Soyuz MS-16 rollout to the launch pad. Credit: NASA/Victor Zelentsov
The incident was confirmed by Roscosmos in a brief statement posted on Telegram. However, the agency offered limited detail and sought to downplay the seriousness of the damage, stating that inspections after every launch routinely reveal wear and tear.
According to the translated Roscosmos statement:
“The space rocket launched normally… The ship successfully docked with the International Space Station. The crew is in good health. The launch site was inspected, as is done after each launch. Damage to several launch pad components was detected. All necessary spare components are available for repair, and the damage will be repaired shortly.”
What Happened at the Pad
Although the mission to orbit proceeded flawlessly, observers on the ground noticed that the “maintenance cabin” — a large movable platform positioned beneath the rocket to provide access during prelaunch operations — had collapsed into the flame trench after the vehicle lifted off.
Katya Pavlushchenko (@katlinegrey), a widely followed Russian space analyst, shared Roscosmos’s message and reported that the structure behaved normally before launch, retracting as it always does roughly an hour before ignition. However, after the rocket’s departure, it fell into the trench for reasons that remain unknown.
She noted that experts she consulted suspect faulty or improperly secured locking mechanisms, which normally keep the platform in its stowed position during launch. A failure in those locks could have allowed the cabin to shift or give way under the extreme forces of the Soyuz liftoff.
Extent of Damage May Be Larger Than Roscosmos Suggests
Further concern came from renowned space journalist Anatoly Zak (@RussianSpaceWeb), who published an image showing the aftermath at Site 31. Zak described the destroyed structure as the mobile service platform, estimating that repairs could take up to two years — a stark contrast to Roscosmos’s claim that fixes would be “shortly” completed.
Zak added that the pad was also scheduled to support the upcoming launch of the uncrewed Progress MS-33 cargo mission next month, raising doubts about whether alternative arrangements will be required.
Why This Matters: Site 31 Is Irreplaceable For Russia’s Crewed Flights
Roscosmos currently relies on just one operational Soyuz launch pad for human spaceflight — Site 31. The more famous Gagarin’s Start (Site 1/5), used for Yuri Gagarin’s historic 1961 launch, has been inactive since 2019 and is undergoing long-term modernization.
That makes today’s damage especially concerning. Any extended outage of Site 31 could impact Russia’s ability to send crews to the ISS independently, forcing schedule changes, launch delays, or reliance on international contingencies.
For now, the Soyuz MS-28 crew — launched at 4:27 a.m. EST and docked just over three hours later — is safely aboard the station. No onboard issues were reported.
But back on Earth, Russian space officials now face a critical engineering challenge: determining whether Site 31 can be restored quickly, or whether the damage marks a long-term setback for the country’s human spaceflight operations.
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