Russia’s Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft launched on November 27, safely delivering two Roscosmos cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS). The routine mission was a success, but back on the ground, something went awry.

Shortly after liftoff, a structure collapsed on the launch pad at Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, according to NASASpaceFlight.com. Drone footage reportedly showed the site’s mobile maintenance cabin lying upside down in the flame trench. In a statement, Roscosmos explained that damage can occur after launch, and an inspection is currently underway.

“All the necessary spare parts are available for repairs, and the damage will be rectified in the near future,” the translated statement reads.

Site 31/6 is the only Russian launch site capable of launching astronauts and cargo to the ISS, and it will be out of commission until the structure is repaired. That means Russia is cut off from the space station until further notice. But to be clear, the crew currently aboard the ISS has not been stranded by this mishap, and they will have plenty of supplies even if upcoming cargo missions are delayed.

A major mishap

The maintenance cabin is a 144-ton (131-metric-ton) mobile metal platform equipped with two lifting platforms, according to NASASpaceFlight.com. Prior to a launch, the maintenance cabin is placed beneath the rocket with the platforms raised. This provides access to the rocket’s engines, allowing the launch team to conduct preparations.

Once those tasks are complete, the team lowers the lifting platforms and moves the maintenance cabin into an enclosed “nook” under the launch pad. On November 27, the maintenance cabin was either not properly secured in the nook, or the locks holding it in a retracted position could not withstand the load, NASASpaceFlight.com reports.

According to RussianSpaceWeb.com, the collapse “clearly took place some moments after the liftoff, because photos of the launch capturing the flame duct showed no signs of the failure.” As the rocket launched, a pressure difference between the space beneath it and the nook where the maintenance cabin was stored likely pulled the cabin out of the nook and threw it into the flame trench, NASASpaceFlight.com explains.

Photos posted on social media appear to show extensive damage to the maintenance cabin, suggesting that the entire platform is beyond repair. Roscosmos will need to install a spare maintenance cabin or build a new one to resume launches at Site 31/6, according to RussianSpaceWeb.com.

Roscosmos, you’re grounded

It’s unclear how long it will take to get Site 31/6 up and running again. Preliminary estimates suggest repairs could take up to two years, RussianSpaceWeb.com reports. Roscosmos has not shared any contingency plans to continue cargo and crew missions to the ISS.

The maintenance cabin mishap will likely delay the launch of Progress MS-33, a Russian ISS resupply mission currently scheduled to lift off on December 21. The next crewed mission—Soyuz MS-29—isn’t scheduled to launch until July 2026, but it’s also at risk of being postponed.

Much remains unknown as we await more information from Roscosmos, but it’s already clear that the incident has derailed its ISS launch schedule. Once the initial inspection is complete, the agency will begin working to restore Site 31/6 as quickly as possible.