Russia’s Space Launch Pad Said “I’m Done” After Soyuz Launch 💀

Y’all, Russia really said “we’re gonna launch astronauts to space” and their own space launch pad said “bet, but I’m taking myself out in the process. ” No cap, that’s exactly what happened when three crew members launched to the International Space Station on Thursday.

Two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut made it to the ISS safely (thank god), but their Soyuz crew launch absolutely wrecked Russia’s only active launch pad for crewed spaceflights. Talk about main character energy from that launch pad fr fr.

The Launch Pad Really Said “It’s My Villain Era” 🎭

So here’s the tea: Russia only has ONE active launch pad for astronauts and it just got damaged during what was supposed to be a routine mission. The irony is lowkey sending me - imagine being so good at your job that you literally destroy your workplace in the process.

The Russian space program is probably having the worst day rn because this damage could delay future crew and cargo flights to the orbiting complex. It’s giving “task failed successfully” vibes, except the task actually succeeded but at what cost?

What This Means for Future Space Missions 🛸

This situation is honestly wild because Russia’s space launch operations just got majorly disrupted. The damage to their Baikonur launch facility (their main spot for human spaceflight) means they’re gonna have to figure out repairs before sending more people to space.

[LINK: space-news]

The three crew members who made it to the International Space Station are probably looking back at Earth like “glad we made it when we did. ” Meanwhile, NASA and other space agencies are probably scrambling to figure out backup plans for future missions.

The Bottom Line: Space is Hard, Apparently 🌌

Not gonna lie, this whole situation is giving “we’re still figuring this space thing out” energy. The fact that a successful launch can damage the very infrastructure needed for future launches is honestly peak 2024 chaos.

The Russian cosmonauts and American astronaut are safe and that’s what matters most, but Russia’s space program just learned the hard way that sometimes winning comes with a price tag they weren’t ready for.

[LINK: international-space-station]

Stay tuned for updates on when Russia’s launch pad decides to stop being dramatic and get back to work.