StoryHardware

Soyuz MS-28 reaches the ISS, but the launch wrecks a platform at Russia's only crew pad

RoscosmosSoyuz MS & Progress MS

Soyuz MS-28 launched from Baikonur and docked with the ISS just over three hours later without problems. But the maintenance cabin beneath the rocket at Site 31, Russia's only pad for crew launches, apparently collapsed into the flame trench. Roscosmos reported damage to several parts of the launch table, and analyst Anatoly Zak estimated repairs could take up to two years.

  • Launch at 4:27 am EST on November 27, 2025.
  • The cause was unknown; experts speculated the platform's locks were not closed or were broken.
  • Roscosmos said it had all the backup parts needed for repairs.
  • The uncrewed Progress MS-33 had been due to launch from the same pad in December.
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