Russia has lost the ability to launch people into space: reasons for the accident at Baikonur.

According to ТСН: At the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, used by "Roscosmos", an accident occurred during the launch of the Russian spacecraft "Soyuz MS-28" to the International Space Station. Experts believe that Russia can no longer send people into space.

Details of the incident

According to reports, during the launch of the rocket, the service module was destroyed, which provides conditions for work with the tail section of the rocket. Rocket launch analyst Georgiy Trishkin noted that this module fell under the only launch pad from which Russian manned missions to the ISS are launched.

In Trishkin's opinion, the consequence of this accident will be that launches of the "Soyuz" and "Progress" spacecraft may be "postponed indefinitely".

Repairs and consequences

The channel "Yura, forgive" reported that part of the launch complex was destroyed due to the gas jet from the rocket engine. The incident did not result in any injuries among the cosmonauts, but repairs are needed to restore the structure.

“As of today, Russia has lost the ability to launch people into space, which has not happened since 1961.”

Experts believe that repairing the launch pad may take up to two years. Roscosmos confirmed the presence of damage to "a number of elements of the launch table," but assured that these issues would soon be resolved, as "all necessary backup elements are available for restoration." An assessment of the state of the launch pad is currently underway.

Future plans

Modernization of Gagarin Launch Pad No. 1, which has already been decommissioned and transferred to the Kazakhstan Museum of Cosmonautics, could become a backup option for launching Russian spacecraft. This modernization was planned back in 2018 with the participation of the United Arab Emirates, but after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Abu Dhabi canceled all collaborations and investments in this project.

It is worth noting that the International Space Station (ISS) will remain operational at least until 2028, with its deorbiting planned for 2030.

This situation underscores the uncertainty in the Russian space program, which has been a symbol of the country's scientific achievements for centuries. The lack of access to manned launches could have serious consequences for the program and affect cooperation with international partners in the field of space research.