
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
Find the Mysteries of Powerful Using time productively: Augmenting Efficiency and Proficiency - 2
An Aide On Upgrading Your FICO rating - 3
Manual for 6 Hot Brilliant Beds - 4
Tatiana Schlossberg's diagnosis puts spotlight on leukemia: What to know - 5
Vote in favor of your Number one method for praising a birthday
Vote in favor of the Web-based Work out schedule to Keep You Fit and Sound
Heart disease risk greater for women with a common condition they may not be aware they have
Instructions to Keep up with Your Traded Teeth for Life span
Russia patents space station designed to generate artificial gravity
Katz, IDF: We assassinated IRGC intelligence chief Majid Khademi
Some are walking out. Some are shouting. Some are oblivious. How kids are reacting to THAT 'Wicked: For Good' scene
Nations for Rock Climbing
What we know about Renee Nicole Good, the woman who was killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis
Partner of crime boss Steven Lyons arrested in Dubai













