Russia launches first rocket from repaired Baikonur launch pad

## Summary
Advertisement World Russia launches first rocket from repaired Baikonur launch pad A Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster with a Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Mar 22, 2026, in this still image taken from video. (Photo: Roscosmos/Handout via REUTERS) 22 Mar 2026 08:36PM (Updated: 22 Mar 2026 09:21PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST MOSCOW: Russia launched a Soyuz rocket from a repaired launch pad at its Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday (Mar 22), restoring its capability to fly to the International Space Station for the first time since the launch pad was damaged last year. At 1200 GMT, a Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft lifted off and was placed into orbit, Russia's space agency said. While Russia has other cosmodromes on its own territory and Baikonur has other launch sites, the damaged launch pad was the only one able to handle the Soyuz rocket that carries crew capsules and Progress cargo vehicles to the ISS.

## Article Content
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Russia launches first rocket from repaired Baikonur launch pad
A Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster with a Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Mar 22, 2026, in this still image taken from video. (Photo: Roscosmos/Handout via REUTERS)
22 Mar 2026 08:36PM
(Updated: 22 Mar 2026 09:21PM)
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MOSCOW: Russia launched a Soyuz rocket from a repaired launch pad at its Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday (Mar 22), restoring its capability to fly to the International Space Station for the first time since the launch pad was damaged last year.
At 1200 GMT, a Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft lifted off and was placed into orbit, Russia's space agency said. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the International Space Station on Mar 24.
The launch pad had been out of commission since it was badly damaged in November when a Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft with two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut on board blasted off. No one was hurt and the crew safely reached the space station, but the incident deprived Russia of its sole means of sending crew or cargo back to the ISS for months.
While Russia has other cosmodromes on its own territory and Baikonur has other launch sites, the damaged launch pad was the only one able to handle the Soyuz rocket that carries crew capsules and Progress cargo vehicles to the ISS.
Source: Reuters/ec
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Advertisement World Russia launches first rocket from repaired Baikonur launch pad A Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster with a Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Mar 22, 2026, in this still image taken from video. (Photo: Roscosmos/Handout via REUTERS) 22 Mar 2026 08:36PM (Updated: 22 Mar 2026 09:21PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.
- At 1200 GMT, a Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the Progress MS-33 cargo spacecraft lifted off and was placed into orbit, Russia's space agency said.
- While Russia has other cosmodromes on its own territory and Baikonur has other launch sites, the damaged launch pad was the only one able to handle the Soyuz rocket that carries crew capsules and Progress cargo vehicles to the ISS.

### Areas for Consideration
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### Implications
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### Expert Commentary
This article covers launch, fast, russia topics. Notable strengths include discussion of launch. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 414.