Baikonur's only crew-capable pad busted after Soyuz flight

"Anatoly Zak of RussianSpaceWeb.com and author of Russia In Space provided some details and imagery of the damage, which looked more extensive than Roscosmos implied. In Zak's image, a structure he referred to as "the mobile service platform" had collapsed in the flame trench beneath the launchpad. Also called "the service cabin," the structure holds the Soyuz rocket in place until just before launch, and provides access for engineers."

"The pad used by Russia to send Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) sustained damange during yesterday's crew launch, according to Roscosmos. While the Russian space agency confirmed "damage to several launch pad components" and said spares were available, it provided few specifics. It is not clear what happened after the launch, but something obviously went wrong, rendering the launchpad unusable until repairs can be carried out. According to Zak, preliminary estimates of the time required for repairs range up to two years."

"The damage creates complications for ISS operations. While SpaceX could cover some crew and cargo launches, certain tasks like refueling Russian module engines require Russian spacecraft. Roscosmos's insistence that spares are available suggests the two-year estimate is a worst-case scenario. However, a planned December 19 launch of the next Progress freighter from the pad now appears unlikely. The Baikonur facility, Site 31, is the only pad capable of launching crews to the ISS."

The Baikonur pad used for Soyuz crew launches suffered damage during yesterday's launch, with Roscosmos confirming damage to several launch pad components and saying spares were available. Imagery shows the mobile service platform collapsed into the flame trench; the service cabin secures Soyuz and provides access until launch. The launchpad is unusable until repairs are completed, with preliminary estimates up to two years. The damage complicates ISS operations because some tasks, such as refueling Russian module engines, require Russian spacecraft. SpaceX can cover some launches, but the planned December 19 Progress freighter launch now appears unlikely.

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