Russia reignited its space ambitions this week with the first Soyuz rocket launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome’s repaired Site 31, a critical milestone after a 2025 accident temporarily grounded its crewed missions. The Soyuz-2.1a rocket blasted off Sunday, carrying the Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft loaded with 2.5 tonnes of supplies for the International Space Station (ISS).
🛰️ The spacecraft is set to dock with the ISS’s Russian segment on March 24, but hit a snag when one of its automatic docking antennas failed to deploy. Roscosmos confirmed cosmonauts will perform a manual docking—a routine but high-stakes procedure. "This is why we train," said Oleg Kononenko of the Cosmonaut Training Center.
🌍 The launch pad’s revival is crucial for Russia’s space program. Baikonur—leased from Kazakhstan until 2050—is Russia’s only operational ISS crew launch site. Last year’s partial collapse during the Soyuz MS-28 mission left the country reliant on backup plans until repairs wrapped up earlier this month.
NASA acknowledged the antenna glitch but emphasized the mission remains on track. With SpaceX and other players advancing, this launch signals Russia’s determination to stay in the space race. 🪐
