Russia's only pad for crew launches suffers major damage
14 days ago
- #Space launch facilities
- #Baikonur Cosmodrome
- #Soyuz rocket
- Site 31 in Baikonur Cosmodrome was the second launch facility for R-7-based rockets, officially designated 17P32-6 or Pad No. 6.
- Originally built as an operational and training 'battle station' for R-7 missiles, it was later repurposed for orbital launches, including crewed missions.
- Key infrastructure included the launch pad (Facility 353), MIK assembly building, MIK GCh for nuclear warhead processing, and a residential complex at Site 32.
- Site 31 supported launches to four different orbital inclinations and was upgraded for Soyuz-2 rockets in the 2000s.
- The facility hosted 12 out of 100 Russian crewed launches by 2006, including Soyuz missions like Soyuz-4, Soyuz-6, and Soyuz T-10.
- In 2009, upgrades enabled Site 31 to support increased ISS missions, with Progress M-66 being the first cargo launch from the pad.
- Crewed launches resumed in 2012 with Soyuz TMA-06M, and the pad saw its 400th launch in 2020 with Soyuz MS-16.
- In November 2025, the mobile service platform collapsed during Soyuz MS-28's launch, severely damaging the only Russian crew launch pad.
- Repairs were estimated to take up to two years, potentially disrupting ISS missions, with possible temporary solutions using mothballed pads at other sites.