MOSCOW (Reuters) -A Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft with two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut on board successfully docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.
But the agency later reported that the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan had sustained damage from the launch. It said the damage would be quickly repaired.
The Soyuz 2.1a rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 12:28 p.m. Moscow time (0928 GMT).
Late on Thursday, Russian news agencies quoted Roscosmos as saying the launch had taken place without incident, but damage was observed after an inspection of the launch area.
"Damage to a number of elements of the launch pad was detected. An assessment of the state of the launch complex is being conducted now," the agencies quoted Roscosmos as saying.
"All the necessary reserve elements are there to restore it and the damage will be eliminated very soon."
It said the crew was on board the station and in good health.
(Reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova; Writing by Marina Bobrova; Editing by Andrew Osborn, Ron Popeski and Bill Berkrot)
LATEST POSTS
- 1
'Dancing with the Stars' semifinals: How to watch Episode 10 tonight, where to stream, who's left and more - 210 Demonstrated Tips to Expand Your New Android Cell phone: A Thorough Aide
- 3Is Trump going to war with Venezuela?
- 4Sustaining Public activity and Connections: Key Methodologies
- 5Discovery off Israel’s coast reveals earliest known 2,600-year-old shipment of raw iron
- South Africa collects record $117B tax haul
- Scientists uncover an ant assassination scheme that helps a parasitic queen rise to power
- Finding the Universe of Craftsmanship: Individual Encounters in Imagination
- Spain and Catholic Church agree to compensate sex abuse victims
- First stop, the Moon. Next stop, Mars? Why Nasa's mission matters
- What to know about voluntary chocolate recall
- Israeli lawmakers pass bill reviving death penalty for terrorists
- National health ranking puts Georgia near bottom of list. Here's why
- Watch SpaceX launch 119 payloads to orbit from California early on March 30
