Structural Shock: Rocket Launch Destroys Russia's Gateway to Space

Russia’s Space Crisis: Key Launch Pad Collapses, Grounding Future ISS Missions

On November 27, 2025, a Russian Soyuz rocket launched a crew of three—including a NASA astronaut—to the International Space Station (ISS) in what appeared to be a successful mission. However, immediately after the rocket cleared the launch tower, a disastrous structural failure occurred on the ground at Russia’s primary launch site, leading to a sudden and severe crisis for their space program.

The incident at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan has effectively halted Russia’s ability to launch people or crucial supplies into space, marking the biggest operational disruption to its human spaceflight capability since 1961. 

What Exactly Broke?

The failure happened at Launch Pad 31/6, the only facility Russia uses for its crewed Soyuz missions and automated Progress cargo flights to the ISS. 

1. The Collapse: Post-launch inspection revealed that a massive part of the ground equipment—a structure known as the mobile service platform or service cabin—had collapsed. This structure, which provides final access to the rocket for engineers and astronauts during preparation, fell several meters down into the flame trench below the launch platform. 

2. The Cause: Analysis suggests that the failure was likely caused by the extreme force of the Soyuz rocket’s first-stage engine exhaust, which reportedly tore through part of the launch complex as the rocket lifted off. 

3. The Result: The collapse not only destroyed the service cabin but also damaged essential support elements, including power lines and sensors inside the trench, rendering the entire launch complex unusable. 

Why This Is a Critical Problem

The complete loss of Launch Pad 31/6 creates an immediate and major issue for the International Space Station (ISS) partnership because Russia has no backup launch site ready for human missions.

• No Crew Access: Since Site 31/6 was the only pad certified and actively used for crewed Soyuz flights, Russia is temporarily grounded from sending astronauts to space. All future crew rotations must now rely entirely on US Commercial Crew vehicles, such as the SpaceX Dragon. 

• The Cargo Crisis: The pad is also necessary for launching Progress cargo ships, which carry food, water, and specialized Russian equipment to the ISS. More importantly, Progress ships carry the fuel needed to maintain the station's altitude and perform reboost maneuvers to counteract atmospheric drag. The next Progress mission is now at "serious risk of cancellation." The ISS is now reliant on US vehicles for these orbital maintenance functions. 

• A Lack of Redundancy: This disaster highlights the financial decisions made years ago. Russia used to have a second launch pad at Baikonur, Site 1/5 ("Gagarin's Start"), but the necessary upgrades to handle the current Soyuz rocket were abandoned due to lack of funding, and the pad was mothballed. Russia's domestic alternatives, like the Vostochny Cosmodrome, are not yet certified for human spaceflight.