The Hill: How One Mistake Led To The Collapse Of Russia's Manned Space Flights

Russia no longer has access to the ISS.

The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft recently launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev, as well as NASA astronaut Christopher Williams to the International Space Station. The trip went off without incident, but the launch caused such destruction that it likely ended the history of Russian manned spaceflight.

It was reported by The Hill.

It turned out that someone had failed to secure a 20-ton service platform used to allow workers access to the Soyuz engines before launch. The rocket's thrust threw the platform into a fiery trench, damaging the launch pad and rendering it unusable for further use in the near future.

Since pad 31 is the only one used by Roscosmos from which both the Soyuz and the Progress cargo ship can be launched, Russia no longer has access to the International Space Station. This situation has implications for both the ISS and Russia's future as a space power.

Officially, the Russians are optimistic about their ability to rebuild the pad, but outside analysts of Russia's space program are not so sure.

Not accounting for corruption and mismanagement, much of the resources that could be used for rebuilding are instead going to fund Russia's senseless imperialist war against Ukraine.

"Add to this the economically The Progress cargo ship is used to periodically lift the orbiting space lab and "desaturate" its gyroscopes.

"Progress also serves as a tanker to refuel the Russian engines on the ISS. These engines are important to avoid space debris.

"Developing a new means to refuel the engines is a challenge. Is it possible to launch Progress on another rocket, such as Falcon 9? Could the Cargo Dragon serve as a tanker? Hopefully Ilon Musk's SpaceX engineers are working on this question," the authors wrote.

A bigger issue highlighted by the accident is the question of Russia's place in the world. The head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, considers himself the second Tsar Peter the Great. That one helped Russia become a world power. Putin would like to restore his country's power and influence lost after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The difference between Putin and Peter the Great is that Czar Peter not only won wars against the Swedes and Turks, but also maintained good relations with European countries such as England and the Netherlands. Peter's Russia benefited from Western engineering and science.

Putin got bogged down in Ukraine, wasting lives and resources that could have been better used for Russia's space programs. He has also alienated the West and is now bereft of alliances that could benefit him. The copying of SpaceX documents by Russian cosmonaut Aleg Artemyev, who was suspended from a flight to the International Space Station for stealing U.S. military technology, also did not help matters.

"The question of how Putin will get out of the mess he has gotten himself into is a complex one. The answer to it will probably rest with his successor," The Hill adds.

In the meantime, SpaceX's importance has grown beyond all expectations. Crew Dragon is now the only vehicle capable of carrying people to and from the space station. No additional means are visible on the horizon, except perhaps the Boeing Starliner if it can be launched.

Despite SpaceX's superior performance, the fact remains that relying on a single provider of services such as manned spaceflight is foolish. An alternative must be developed.

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