
A launch pad at Russia’s main space complex was damaged during Thursday’s launch of a mission carrying two Russians and an American to the International Space Station, Moscow’s space agency announced.
The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft successfully docked with the space station and the three crew members had boarded, Roscosmos said.
But a post-launch inspection at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan revealed “damage to several elements of the launch pad,” according to a statement from Roscosmos, which still uses the space facility in its former Soviet neighbor.
“An assessment of the condition of the launch complex is currently underway,” it said, adding that all parts needed to repair the pad are available.
“The damage will be repaired in the near future.”
The launch pad contains support systems for the rocket and a structure that allows cosmonauts to access their capsule as it sits atop a Soyuz rocket.
Launch pads must be capable of withstanding extreme heat, air pressure and vibrations as a rocket takes flight.
Russian analysts said repairs to the launch pad could take a week or longer. And any lengthy delay could leave Russia unable to launch missions to the space station, they said.
“In the worst case this could seriously affect the rotation of crewed missions and cargo flights to the ISS,” analyst and blogger Georgy Trishkin wrote on Telegram.
Typically, ISS crew are launched roughly every six months from Baikonur.
“This is the only launch pad Roscosmos uses for the ISS program, and in the future it was supposed to be used for launches to the Russian Orbital Station,” 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 launch table or modernize another one,” Egorov wrote.
Besides Russia’s Soyuz craft, NASA uses SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to take crew to the ISS.
The three men aboard the mission that lifted off Thursday join seven other crew already orbiting on the ISS.
Three are scheduled to return to Earth by December 8, according to NASA.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Exploring the Gig Economy: Examples from Consultants - 2
Instructions to Pick the Right Toothpaste for Your Dental Requirements - 3
Step by step instructions to Pick A Keep money with High Fixed Store Loan costs - 4
Why ordering takeout or calling the dog walker might lead to a happier relationship - 5
With more Moon missions on the horizon, avoiding crowding and collisions will be a growing challenge
Sa'ar warns German delegation: 'A Palestinian state would be a Hamas terror state'
35 million tons of food go to waste yearly in the US. Experts share tips to help stop it
New 'People We Meet on Vacation' trailer teases Poppy and Alex romance: Everything we know about the new Netflix movie
10 Demonstrated Tips to Dominate Video Altering on Your Cell phone in 2023
Amplifying Cash The executives: The Upsides and downsides of Various Ledgers
Santa's sleigh or the International Space Station? How to spot a bright Christmas flyby Dec. 24 and 25
Figure out how to Amplify Your Open Record Reward
10 Moving Design Frill for Summer 2023
Which restaurants and fast food chains will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?












