NASA officially Calls on SpaceX Dragon to Go for Launch while Russia Soyuz Trouble...
NASA officially Calls on SpaceX Dragon to Go for Launch while Russia Soyuz Trouble...
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NASA officially Calls on SpaceX Dragon to Go for Launch while Russia Soyuz Trouble...
Roscosmos once mocked the U.S., telling us to use a “trampoline” to reach the ISS. But today, with Soyuz grounded after serious damage at the Baikonur launch pad, Russia has quietly found itself needing NASA’s help. What’s even more surprising? NASA didn’t retaliate. Instead, it stepped in, ramping up Cargo Dragon missions to keep supplies flowing and the Russian segment of the ISS running.
So why choose cooperation over payback? And could Russia use this crisis as a chance to leave the ISS earlier than planned?
Let’s find out in today’s episode of Alpha Tech.
NASA officially Calls on SpaceX Dragon to Go for Launch while Russia Soyuz Trouble...
Nearly a month has passed since November 27, 2025, the day Roscosmos suffered a major setback. Launch Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the only facility capable of sending the Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS, was seriously damaged.
In the immediate aftermath, Roscosmos projected confidence. Officials insisted repairs would move quickly, saying replacement components were already on hand. Deputy Director Dmitry Baranov claimed the full repair kit had arrived, that work would begin on December 1, 2025, and that the pad could be operational again as early as late February 2026.
But as weeks have gone by, progress has become increasingly opaque. There have been no meaningful updates, no public indications that repairs are advancing as planned. Many experts and media outlets now believe the disruption could last far longer — potentially extending to two years.
And that changes everything. For up to two years, Russia may be unable to launch Soyuz crew vehicles or Progress cargo ships to the ISS at all. That means operations on the Russian side of the station would be forced to rely almost entirely on NASA.
Of course, Russia never formally asked NASA for help. Instead, NASA moved preemptively.
NASA officially Calls on SpaceX Dragon to Go for Launch while Russia Soyuz Trouble...
To hedge against delays in Russia’s Progress cargo flights, NASA pulled forward two upcoming SpaceX Cargo Dragon missions. CRS-34 was moved from June to May 2026, and CRS-35 from November to August 2026. These flights are meant to compensate for delayed cargo deliveries and the loss of Progress vehicles that normally help reboost the ISS’s orbit.
More recently, NASA also announced the crew lineup for SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission under the Commercial Crew Program, a crew rotation that operates independently of Soyuz. The mission is scheduled to launch in February 2026, and notably includes Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who previously flew on Crew-6 in 2023. His seat is part of the ongoing cross-flight agreement between NASA and Roscosmos.
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