After key Russian launch site is damaged, NASA accelerates Dragon supply missions

In response to the damage of a crucial Russian launch pad, NASA is expediting its schedule for two Cargo Dragon missions to ensure that the astronauts aboard the International Space Station receive necessary supplies next year. The agency has adjusted its timeline, moving the upcoming Dragon supply mission, CRS-34, up by a month from June 2026 to May. Additionally, the following mission, CRS-35, will now take place three months earlier than originally planned, shifting from November to August. This scheduling change is attributed to an incident that occurred on Thanksgiving Day at the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. During the launch of a Soyuz rocket carrying Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut, a large mobile platform beneath the rocket was not securely positioned, leading it to collapse into the flame trench. While the rocket itself launched successfully, the mishap rendered the launch pad inoperable. Although Russia has other launch facilities across its territory and in neighboring countries, Site 31 at Baikonur remains the only site currently equipped to support Soyuz rocket launches, as well as two vital spacecraft for the space station: the cargo-only Progress vehicle and the Soyuz crew capsule. Following the incident, Roscosmos, Russia’s main space agency, has been evaluating repair options for Site 31 and has started the process of arranging spare parts. Officials from Roscosmos have communicated to NASA that the repairs are expected to take a minimum of four months, after which the site may resume its launch capabilities.