A Soyuz rocket lifted off on Thursday, carrying Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, along with NASA astronaut Christopher Williams, to embark on an eight-month mission to the International Space Station. The launch proceeded smoothly in terms of the vehicle reaching orbit, and the crew arrived at the space station without any issues.
However, complications arose with the ground support systems used during the launch at Site 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Russian space corporation managing Soyuz launches addressed the incident in a brief statement on Telegram, suggesting a routine inspection revealed damage to several components of the launch pad. The statement noted that the inspections are standard worldwide after such events. The exact condition of the launch pad is still being evaluated.
Despite the attempt to minimize concerns, video footage showed extensive damage to the site, including a large service platform that appears to have collapsed into the flame trench below the launch table. According to an informed source, this platform is crucial for worker access to the rocket pre-launch and weighs approximately 20 metric tons. It seems the platform was not adequately secured, resulting in its displacement by the thrust of the rocket. "There is significant damage to the pad," the source confirmed.
Russia possesses numerous launch facilities, both domestically and in neighboring nations like Kazakhstan, a remnant of the Soviet era. Nonetheless, Site 31 at Baikonur currently remains Russia’s sole operational pad configured for launches involving the Soyuz rocket and the critical space station-bound spacecraft, which include both the cargo-specialized Progress vehicle and the Soyuz crew capsule.