The launch pad for rockets and spacecraft from the “Baikonur“ cosmodrome in Kazakhstan was damaged after the launch earlier today of the Soyuz spacecraft bound for the International Space Station, world agencies reported, citing the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
According to the department, the damage will soon be repaired.
The state of the launch complex is currently being assessed, Roscosmos added. The agency clarifies that it has all the necessary spare parts and items to repair the damage very soon.
According to specialized Russian blogs, however, the damage is greater and Russia will not be able to provide flights to the International Space Station for some time, reported Agence France-Presse.
The “Soyuz“ spacecraft was launched with a launch vehicle of the same name. On board it is a three-person crew, including one American astronaut - Christopher Williams. The crew commander is Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who is also the seventh special correspondent of the Russian TASS agency on the International Space Station. The third crew member is cosmonaut Sergey Mikaev. The ship has already docked with the space station without incident.
Space is one of the few areas in which cooperation between Russia and the United States continues, notes Agence France-Presse.