Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan has reportedly suffered significant damage after yesterday’s launch. Reports say that the service tower at Pad 31 collapsed after the Soyuz 2.1a rocket lifted off on November 27 with three astronauts. The astronauts were part of the MS-28 mission which launched to the International Space Station (ISS).
Baikonur was used by the Soviet Union for a secretive space program during the cold-war era and has been leased by Russia after Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991.
Off they go! @Astro_ChrisW is embarking on his first-ever flight to space. The crew aboard the spacecraft will spend eight months conducting research on the @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/MLzOnKL7DL
— NASA (@NASA) November 27, 2025
The damage was reportedly caused by the rocket’s exhaust plume, affecting the mobile service tower which provides access to technicians for pre-launch servicing of the launch vehicle’s aft section.
Taking note of the pad’s condition, Russian space agency Roscosmos said per TASS News – “The launch site was inspected, as is done every time after a rocket launch. Damage to a number of launch pad elements was detected. Such damage may appear after launch, so an inspection like this is mandatory in international practice. The condition of the launch complex is currently being assessed.”
⚡️BREAKING: Russia has suddenly lost access to space
An accident at Baikonur has effectively deprived Russia of the ability to launch humans into space for the first time in 60 years.
During the launch of the Soyuz MS-28, the service tower collapsed at launch pad 31.
This is… pic.twitter.com/mGQv2c3xoh
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 27, 2025
Pad 31 is more than 60 years old and it’s currently the only active site available for Russia’s rocket launches. The second site Gagarin’s Start was decommissioned in 2019 and Kazakhstan has plans to build a museum at the site. The incident has crippled Russia’s ability for rocket launches for now and the forthcoming crew and cargo missions will be delayed indefinitely.
“All the necessary spare parts are available for restoration, and the damage will be repaired in the near future,” Roscosmos has said per TASS, however, the restoration is likely to take at least a few months.
According to NEXTA, space expert Vitaly Yegorov said that Russia “has lost its ability to send humans into space” and that the repair work could take up to two years.
Roscosmos occasionally launches a three-member crew to the ISS along with cargo on its Progress spacecraft. As part of a seat-swap agreement between Russia and the US, astronauts of both countries hitch a ride to the ISS on each other’s spacecraft.
With Russia no longer capable, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon remains the only option for both American and Russian travellers. For cargo missions, that send equipment and essential supplies for space station astronauts, NASA has SpaceX Cargo Dragon and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft as the available alternatives.
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MS-28 crew safe at the ISS
Meanwhile, the riders of the MS-28 spacecraft – Chris Williams of NASA, and Russia’s Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev – are safe aboard the space station. Their journey was smooth as the launch had no effect on them. The trio reached their destination a couple of hours after liftoff at 3:57 pm IST and were welcomed by the seven-member Expedition 73 team.
They will spend eight-months on the orbital lab conducting microgravity experiments and research.
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