Baikonur Soyuz Pad Failure – The Register

This text snippet discusses damage to a launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome (specifically Site 31), which is crucial for launching crews to the International Space Station (ISS). Hear’s a breakdown of the key points:

* Damage & Impact: Damage to the launch pad creates complications for ISS operations.
* Dependency on Russia: while SpaceX can handle some launches, certain tasks (like refueling Russian modules) require Russian spacecraft.
* Spares Availability: Roscosmos claims spares are available, suggesting the estimated two-year repair time might be pessimistic.
* Launch Delay: The upcoming December 19th launch of a Progress freighter is now in doubt.
* Pad Significance: Site 31 is the onyl pad currently capable of launching crews to the ISS. It was originally built for ICBMs and later upgraded.
* Missed Chance: A planned upgrade for another pad (Site 1) was cancelled, which now seems like a missed opportunity.

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