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Baikonur Cosmodrome Damage Delays Future Soyuz Launches

11/30/2025

50 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Baikonur Cosmodrome sustained damage when a service platform fell into a flame trench during Nov. 27 launch of the Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the Soyuz MS-28 to the International Space Station.
Roscosmos will assess the damage.
Experts suggest repairs could take up to two years.
The facility remains critical for Russia's ISS operations, with next launch on Dec. 20 and a crewed mission from the pad planned for July 2026.

History

Historical Context

The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975 marked the first international human spaceflight collaboration between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, highlighting potential cooperation in space. Recent damage to Baikonur Cosmodrome's launch pad during the Soyuz MS-28 mission echoes past challenges, as this site has been pivotal for crewed missions to the ISS since the 1960s, underscoring ongoing vulnerabilities in space exploration.

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Story summary

The Baikonur Cosmodrome sustained damage when a service platform fell into a flame trench during Nov. 27 launch of the Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the Soyuz MS-28 to the International Space Station.
Roscosmos will assess the damage.
Experts suggest repairs could take up to two years.
The facility remains critical for Russia's ISS operations, with next launch on Dec. 20 and a crewed mission from the pad planned for July 2026.

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