NASA Moves Up Cargo Dragon Flights After Baikonur Soyuz Pad Damage

Roscosmos projects a minimum four‑month repair for Site 31/6, putting the station’s Progress reboost capability in doubt.

Overview

A mobile service cabin failed to clear during the Nov. 27 Soyuz liftoff at Baikonur, collapsing into the flame trench and taking Site 31/6 offline.
NASA advanced Cargo Dragon CRS‑34 from June to May 2026 and CRS‑35 from November to August to reinforce ISS resupply.
Roscosmos told NASA repairs will take at least four months and set an internal April target, a timeline many experts consider optimistic.
Site 31/6 is currently the only Baikonur pad configured for Soyuz crew and Progress cargo launches, concentrating risk for Russian ISS access.
Alternative spacecraft can cover many logistics needs, but only Progress delivers propellant for Russian‑segment reboosts and attitude control.