Russia's "sacred cow" is collapsing – manned space flights are suspended

On November 27, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, during the launch of the Russian manned spacecraft "Soyuz MS-28" with a crew for the ISS, it was discovered that the launch complex had been damaged. Specifically, a part of it, the launch vehicle preparation platform, was completely destroyed.

This platform is always hidden under the launch complex during launch. It was most likely not secured. And during the launch, the jet stream pushed it out of the shelter, it was overturned and destroyed, and an element of the launch complex ended up at the bottom of the pit.

This mobile platform weighs approximately 20 tons and is a rather complex structure. There are different modifications, and the version that was used now was manufactured in the 1960s–1970s.

The question for the Russians is how long it will take to recover and how much money is needed for it.

The reconstruction could take a year, a year and a half, or two years. But it's quite possible to assume that not only the platform itself suffered damage, but also other parts of the launch complex. And that means additional work, additional materials, and mechanisms that are difficult to manufacture.