Russia’s sole launchpad for sending astronauts into space suffered severe damage during a rocket blastoff on Thursday.
Footage of the incident from Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, showed that part of the structure collapsed and fell into a large exhaust trench below.
Roscosmos confirmed to state media on Thursday that the launchpad, located in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, had been damaged, but did not specify the extent of the damage.
The launch itself, which sent a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station, was successful, and none of the three astronauts on board were harmed.
However, Roscosmos footage suggests that the service bay below the launchpad was dislodged as the Soyuz fired its booster engines on it.
A video clip of the launch, published by state media, showed debris flying up from the trench as the rocket’s exhaust plume flared, which could indicate an explosion or structural collapse.
Another overhead shot of the aftermath, from Roscosmos, then showed the charred remains of a large structure lying in the facility’s exhaust trench.
Meanwhile, footage of the launchpad filmed just before liftoff showed that the trench was previously empty.
The service bay is a platform located near the bottom of the launchpad that houses critical cabling, sensors, and other equipment, and also provides technicians with a work area for the rocket’s tail section.
It’s unclear how the service bay was dislodged and how long it may take to repair. Roscosmos did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
“The launch complex’s condition is currently being assessed,” the agency told state media. “All necessary backup components are available for restoration, and the damage will be repaired soon.”
The Soyuz spacecraft carried two Russian astronauts and one NASA astronaut, Chris Williams, who arrived safely at the International Space Station.
NASA did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.
Site 31/6 is Russia’s only crewed launchpad
The damage from Thursday stands to disrupt operations at Russia’s only launchpad for crewed space missions.
This particular pad, called Site 31/6, was built in the 1960s at the Baikonur spaceport, a Soviet-era facility that Russia leases from Kazakhstan.
The Baikonur spaceport has an alternative pad, known as Site 1 or Gagarin’s Start. It was where Russia launched the famed cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin for the world’s first human spaceflight. Site 1, which had been in use since the 1950s, ceased spaceflight operations in 2019.
The United Arab Emirates signed an agreement of interest in 2021 to fund the modernization of the older pad, though the deal likely fell through. Russian authorities announced in 2023 that they would turn Gagarin’s Start into a museum.
Russia is also building a new spaceport, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, in its territory, but has yet to complete the infrastructure for crewed launches.
Read the full article here
