Russian Soyuz mission reaches ISS as Baikonur launchpad undergoes repairs

A Russian launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome sustained damage during the liftoff of a joint Russian-US crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Russia’s space agency Roscosmos has confirmed.

The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, carrying Roscosmos astronauts Sergey Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov alongside NASA astronaut Chris Williams, launched at 12:28pm Moscow time (09:27 GMT) on Thursday. The spacecraft later docked successfully with the ISS, where the crew was confirmed to be on board and in good health.

Following the launch, Roscosmos said an inspection of the site revealed “damage to a number of elements of the launchpad”.

“An assessment of the state of the launch complex is being conducted now,” the agency said, adding: “All the necessary reserve elements are there to restore it and the damage will be eliminated very soon.”

Baikonur, located in the Russian-leased city of the same name in Kazakhstan, remains Russia’s primary site for crewed launches. Officials indicated that repair work will proceed promptly to ensure continued operations.

While some independent commentators suggested the damage could be extensive, Roscosmos has emphasised that restoration is fully manageable and necessary backup systems are in place.

The mission itself continues as planned. The three astronauts will spend 242 days aboard the ISS, carrying out around 40 scientific experiments and two spacewalks before returning to Earth in July 2026.