Russia’s crucial launch infrastructure at Baikonur Cosmodrome’s Site 31/6 has been fully repaired following a significant incident during a crewed Soyuz mission late last year, Roscosmos announced this week.
The restoration paves the way for the upcoming Progress MS-33 cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station (ISS), scheduled for March 22, 2026.
The trouble began on November 27, 2025, when a Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifted off from Site 31 carrying the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.
On board were Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, along with NASA astronaut Christopher Williams. The mission proceeded flawlessly, with the crew docking successfully at the ISS hours later to begin an approximately eight-month expedition.
However, post-launch inspections and aerial footage revealed unexpected damage to the pad.
A key component known as the service cabin—or mobile maintenance platform—had collapsed into the flame trench below. This multi-story structure, measuring about 19 meters in length and width and weighing roughly 17 tonnes, provides access to the rocket’s engines and aft systems before liftoff.
It retracts into a protective cavity at the side of the pad to shield it from the intense exhaust plume during ascent.
The service cabin was not properly secured after retracting, allowing the powerful rocket exhaust to dislodge it from its position. The structure then fell several meters into the trench, deforming bridges, access elements, and other infrastructure.
Site 31/6 is Russia’s only currently operational pad configured for crewed Soyuz launches and Progress cargo missions to the ISS, making the incident a serious concern for ongoing Russian contributions to the orbital outpost.
Roscosmos promptly acknowledged the damage and committed to repairs using available spare parts. Skepticism arose in the space community about the timeline, given the scale of the structure and the complexity of replacing it.
Yet, the agency’s long history with the Soyuz system proved advantageous: spare service cabins existed from uncompleted refurbishment plans dating back to the 1970s.
Installation presented major engineering challenges. The replacement unit, originally designed for earlier Soyuz variants, required modifications to align with modern hardware.
Technicians also faced the task of maneuvering massive components through a limited opening that barely accommodated them.
Over 150 personnel worked intensively on the project, completing extensive tasks including preparing and painting 2,350 square meters of structures, replacing all fastening units, fully updating electrical systems, inspecting and servicing mechanisms, and performing more than 250 meters of welding.
In under two months from the damage assessment—far quicker than many observers anticipated—the pad was declared ready, with Roscosmos confirming that Site 31/6 had been restored to full operational status.
The first mission to test the repaired pad will be Progress MS-33, a cargo variant of the Soyuz spacecraft. Liftoff is targeted for March 22 at approximately 11:59 UTC from Baikonur.
The uncrewed vehicle will deliver around 2.5 tons of supplies to the ISS, including propellant for orbital refueling, water, food, scientific equipment, and crew parcels.
As preparations ramp up for the March launch, teams are expected to conduct rigorous checks on the new service cabin’s securing mechanisms to prevent any recurrence. The Progress MS-33 flight marks a return to normalcy for Russian ISS logistics, ensuring continued crew rotations and cargo deliveries from Baikonur.
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