Russia Unable to Send Astronauts to Space for First Time Since 1961

[Elderberry]

Newsweek by Brendan Cole 11/28/2025

Damage to a Russian launch site has stopped Moscow from sending people into space for the first time in over six decades, it has been reported.



Moscow’s space agency Roscosmos said that Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan had sustained damage during a launch on Thursday carrying Russian and American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). 

But Russian space bloggers said the damage to Russia’s only launch site for crewed missions was more serious than authorities were claiming.

One expert, Vitaly Egorov, said if the damage is as suspected, Moscow will have lost the ability to launch people into space for the first time since it put the first human in orbit in 1961. Newsweek has contacted Roscosmos for comment.

Why It Matters

Moscow leases Baikonur from Kazakhstan for $115 million per year and its role in launching astronauts to the ISS makes it one of the last remaining areas of collaboration between Russia and the West. 

More: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-unable-to-send-astronauts-to-space-for-first-time-since-1961-11125188

[Canuck Conservative]

Lost Black Sea flagship, lost half of nuclear bomber fleet, lost 1/3 of Black Sea Fleet, now lost its space-launch capacity

a "superpower", LOL!!

More proof that Russia is a p.o.s. country going backwards under Putin

[240B]

Russia's only active launch pad for cosmonauts damaged by Soyuz crew launch to International Space Station

Space.com
By Robert Z. Pearlman
Nov 28, 2025



Two cosmonauts and an American astronaut arrived at the International Space Station safely, but damage caused by their launch may delay future Russian crew and cargo flights to the orbiting complex.

Russia's successful launch of three new crew members to the International Space Station on Thursday (Nov. 27), resulted in damage to country's only active launch pad for crewed spaceflights to the orbiting lab, Russia's federal space corporation has confirmed.

The maintenance cabin (also referred to as a service platform) located in the flame trench at the Baikonur Cosmodrome's Site 31/6 in Kazakhstan reportedly collapsed in the wake of the Soyuz MS-28 crew launching to the space station atop a Soyuz 2.1a rocket. The platform is needed in the preparation of boosters launching from the pad.

"The launch site was inspected, as is done every time after a rocket launch. Damage to a number of launch pad elements was detected," read a statement released by Roscosmos late on Thursday. "Such damage may appear after launch, so an inspection like this is mandatory in international practice."

(more)
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/russias-only-launch-pad-for-cosmonauts-damaged-by-soyuz-crew-launch-to-international-space-station

[MeganC]

Russia is a dying empire.