Archive · 2 Dec 2025
Russia Loses Human Spaceflight Capability After Launch Pad Damage
Russia has a big problem with its space launches.
They sent three people to the International Space Station (ISS) from a special place in Kazakhstan.
But after the launch, they found that the place where they send rockets from is broken.
This is the only place Russia uses to send people into space.
Now, they can't send more people until they fix it.
The broken part is very heavy and fell into a big hole where the rocket fire goes.
They don't know how long it will take to fix.
This is the first time in over 60 years that Russia can't send people into space.
Russia's only human-rated launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan was damaged during a recent launch.
The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft successfully carried three astronauts to the ISS on November 27, but the launch pad sustained significant damage.
The damage involves the service platform used to access rockets' engines, which fell into the flame trench below the launch pad.
Roscosmos is assessing the damage and plans to repair it, but the timeline for repairs is unclear.
This is the first time in nearly 70 years that Russia has lost the ability to launch humans into space.
- Who
- Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev, and NASA astronaut Chris Williams
- What
- Damage to the only human-rated launch pad Russia uses, temporarily halting human spaceflight capabilities
- When
- November 27, 2023
- Where
- Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
- Why
- The service platform used to access rockets' engines fell into the flame trench during the launch
- Launch Date
- November 27
- Launch Site
- Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
- Spacecraft
- Soyuz MS-28
- Cosmonauts
- Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev
- NASA Astronaut
- Chris Williams
- Destination
- International Space Station (ISS)
- Damage Location
- Service platform at launch pad