An accident at the Baikonur launch complex has halted all of russia's manned missions and is the most serious disruption to its space program in decades.
According to russian media, the incident occurred on November 27 during the launch of the Soyuz MS-28 to the International Space Station. During the preparation of the rocket, a movable structure collapsed under the launch structure, which was recorded by Roscosmos broadcast cameras.
Rocket launch analyst Georgy Trishkin explained that the accident occurred at pad 31, the only one suitable for manned launches. According to him, the launch of Soyuz and Progress has now been postponed indefinitely.
During the inspection, experts found that part of the structure was destroyed by a gas jet from the first stage engine. There were no injuries, but the complex needs to be restored.
Cosmonautics promoter Vitaly Egorov said that "in fact, from that day on, Russia lost the ability to launch people into space, which has not happened since 1961."
Roscosmos confirmed the damage to "a number of elements of the launch table" and assured that they would be replaced. The state corporation claims that it already has backup parts, and the assessment of the site's condition is ongoing.
As a reminder, the russian authorities are trying to hide the explosion of the RS-28 Satan or Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. Satellite images show a huge crater at the Plesetsk cosmodrome, where such missiles were tested.
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