27 November 2025 year on the 31st site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome (is leased by Roscosmos Corporation) during the launch of the Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, the maintenance cabin collapsed. The incident took place at the single site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, from where manned launches of the Russian Federation were carried out.
Analysis of the launch video suggests, that the so-called maintenance booth was torn from the launch complex, which is advanced during the verticalization of the Soyuz-2 rocket on the launch pad. This platform is required for personnel access to the rocket's first and second stage engines. It is served from a special niche under the starting table, and after completing all the preparatory work, it is returned and fixed. A special shield is installed on one edge to protect against the high-temperature flow of rocket gases. This is a critical system for preparing a rocket launch without which the launch complex is inoperable.
Roscosmos confirmed the presence of damage “a series of elements of the starting table”, however reported, that they will be restored in the near future, because for this there are all the necessary backup elements. However, it was noted, that the assessment of the state of the site is still ongoing. Oleksandr Khokhlov, a member of the St. Petersburg organization of the Federation of Cosmonautics of Russia, believes, that is scheduled for 21 December, the launch of the Progress MS-33 cargo ship to the International Space Station by the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle will be postponed. As a result, the Russian crew of the ISS will not receive some important cargoes for maintaining work and life on the station. in addition, in his estimation, flight program on 2026 year will be revised according to the possibilities of repair of the Site no 31.
According to experts, the incident jeopardizes future Russian missions, since there are currently no active alternative places for manned flights in Russia. Despite the statement of Roscosmos about the rapid restoration of the structure, analysts assume, that the repair of the site may last up to two years.
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