AviationNews –
A critical infrastructure failure at the Baikonur Cosmodrome has effectively grounded Russia’s human spaceflight program, marking the first time in six decades that Moscow lacks independent access to the International Space Station (ISS). Following the launch of Soyuz MS-28, severe damage to the primary service tower at Site 31 has rendered the facility unusable, with repairs potentially taking up to two years.
The incident occurred on November 27, 2025, during the liftoff of the Soyuz MS-28 mission carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut. While the crew reached orbit safely, post-launch inspections revealed that the mobile service platform—a massive structure used to support the rocket and facilitate crew boarding—had collapsed into the flame trench below. This particular launch complex, Site 31/6, had become the sole operational pad for manned Russian missions after the historic “Gagarin’s Start” pad was retired in 2019. With Roscosmos confirming significant structural damage, the accident has created an immediate bottleneck for all upcoming Soyuz and Progress cargo missions.
The failure centers on the “service cabin,” a retractable gantry system that normally swings away or lowers prior to ignition. Technical assessments indicate that the structure failed to secure properly, causing it to plummet into the exhaust duct where it was subjected to the immense heat and acoustic energy of the rocket’s engines. This platform is not merely a staircase; it contains vital umbilicals and environmental control systems required to prepare the vehicle for flight. Without it, the pad cannot service the Soyuz rocket, effectively paralyzing operations. The absence of a backup pad for crewed flights at Baikonur, combined with the unreadiness of the new Vostochny Cosmodrome for manned launches, leaves the Russian space program with no immediate alternatives.
“This is a worst-case scenario for our launch infrastructure,” a source close to the Russian space industry stated regarding the severity of the collapse. “While we have spare components in storage, the structural integration required to replace such a massive system is complex, and rushing it could compromise the safety of future crews.”
The long-term implications of this accident are profound, potentially forcing Russia to rely entirely on international partners like SpaceX for ISS crew rotation in the interim. This capability gap threatens to strain the logistics of the space station, particularly the delivery of fuel and cargo via the Progress spacecraft, which also utilizes the damaged pad. As engineers scramble to assess the full extent of the wreckage, the timeline for returning Russia’s storied space program to flight status remains uncertain, with independent analysts predicting a hiatus that could stretch well into 2027.
In short, a catastrophic ground failure has stripped Russia of its autonomous manned spaceflight capability. With repairs estimated to take anywhere from months to years, the global space community now faces a new logistical reality for maintaining the International Space Station.