A launchpad mishap has effectively cut Russia off from the International Space Station.
During a November 27 Soyuz launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the rocket itself took off flawlessly, ferrying three astronauts safely to the International Space Station. The ground equipment, however, got knocked around by the exhaust plume and fired off straight into the flame trench. That isn’t good.
The more specific culprit was a large service platform that’s supposed to roll into a protective shelter before launch and, ideally, stay there, using manually installed stoppers. Why it didn’t stay there remains to be seen.
Russia Accidentally Destroyed Its Last Operational Launch Pad During ISS Liftoff
Maybe a tech forgot to engage the brake? Or perhaps some Soviet era peace finally called it quits? Whatever the root cause, the platform is now mangled beyond recognition. Analysts say it likely has to be rebuilt, which will take anywhere from months to years.
This is a significant problem, since it is the only launchpad under Russian control capable of sending a ship to the ISS. As it stands now, the nation can’t send astronauts or cargo ships—only the vehicle capable of delivering the propellant the station needs to maintain orientation.
Roscosmos, a state-owned corporation that manages Russia’s spaceflights, says repairs will happen soon. However, outside experts aren’t buying it.
As I mentioned earlier, this particular pad is in Kazakhstan because it leases it from Kazakhstan. That could complicate matters. There’s also the fact that spare parts for such highly specialized equipment aren’t just lying around on a warehouse shelf somewhere.
Two similar platforms elsewhere took two years to build, prompting some experts who spoke to the New York Times to speculate that repairs could take months at most.
The post Russia’s Only Working Launch Pad Was Accidentally Destroyed During an ISS Launch appeared first on VICE.
