Last Thursday, during what should have been a seamless Soyuz rocket launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, an oversight caused quite the stir. A 20-ton service platform, essential for pre-launch preparation, was left unsecured and blasted into the flame trench below when the rocket engines ignited. Although the rocket carried its crew of two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) without issue, the damage left behind raises serious questions about operational reliability and contingency planning.
This incident struck a chord with me on multiple levels, not just because of my background in deeptech and education, but also as someone who has experienced first-hand how structural inefficiencies can derail even the best-laid plans. Let’s delve into how this surprising event aligns with lessons female entrepreneurs in Europe can take to heart: the risks of oversight in execution processes, the costs of neglecting foundational support systems, and how to recover quickly from setbacks.
What Happened at the Baikonur Cosmodrome?
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is one of the oldest, most iconic space launch facilities in the world. However, last week’s oversight shows that legacy infrastructure, if taken for granted, can become a liability. The platform in question was part of the critical ground support system that ensures the rocket is safely prepped for takeoff. Failing to secure this plate led to physical damage severe enough to render the entire launch pad inoperable for up to two years.
In the meantime, Site 1, also known as Gagarin's Start, has been decommissioned since 2020. Without a functioning alternative pad for Soyuz and Progress missions, Russia’s ability to maintain ISS activities, such as delivering supplies or crew, is threatened. This could create dependency on alternative solutions, most likely, private space ventures like SpaceX.
What Lessons Can Entrepreneurs Learn From This Misstep?
To find insights from such a technical incident may feel like a stretch, but stay with me. While rockets and startups are different animals, the principles of precision, planning, and resilience transcend industries.
1. Overlooking "Minor" Details Can Have Large-Scale Consequences
Every entrepreneur knows the age-old saying, “The devil’s in the details.” But how many times have we dismissed small tasks as insignificant? Failing to secure an essential piece of infrastructure may look like an extreme example, but think of this the next time you’re tempted to skip a quality check before deploying an update or launching a new product. Instead, establish rigorous pre-launch checklists, just as aerospace engineers do, even for your smallest projects.
2. Aging Systems Can Fail You at Crucial Moments
For many founders, especially in Europe, it's tempting to stretch the lifespan of tools and processes to save money. “If it works, why fix it?” might be a default mindset when you’re bootstrapping, as I’ve personally learned while scaling Fe/male Switch without external funding. But relying on outdated systems can backfire when they’re needed most. For startups, this could mean embracing tools that streamline your operations or training programs to keep your team current.
3. Failure from Oversight is Avoidable
Oversight usually stems from a lack of communication or misaligned team roles. In space missions, teams rely on thorough pre-launch testing, scheduled maintenance, and repeated simulations. Entrepreneurs, especially solopreneurs and small teams, must adopt a mindset of proactive prevention. Whether it’s funding, compliance with EU laws, or market launches, spend extra time catching potential pitfalls.
4. Recovery Time Compounds the Costs
Russia’s two-year repair projection highlights the compounding impact of mishaps. Similarly, for a startup, every delay, from fixing a product bug to recruiting the right talent, adds to opportunity costs and lost momentum. Track repair costs not just in monetary terms but in time lost and customer trust.
5. Have a Plan B Ready
If you’ve followed me or my ventures closely, you’ll know I frequently encourage founders to plan for failure just as strategically as they plan for success. Russia may need to rely on other launch sites during their downtime. Successful businesses, too, must identify alternatives before disaster strikes to shift course as smoothly as possible.
How Can Startup Founders Apply These Lessons?
Let’s turn this analysis into actionable advice, especially for entrepreneurs in Europe’s fast-paced startup scene.
Create Pre-Launch Rituals
Borrow the rocket science approach. Whether launching a new product or conducting an investor demo, replicate a “pre-launch checklist.” Include technical checks, team readiness, stakeholder communication, and even mental preparedness.
Invest in Maintenance
Maintenance is not glamorous, but it keeps the lights on. Update your tech stack regularly, cross-train your team, and even conduct “dry-run failures” to identify cracks early.
Build Operational Resilience
Problems will arise. Build resilience into your operations by creating standard operating procedures (SOPs) and redundancies. If one key resource falters, a software tool, a supplier, or even a team member, ensure you have immediate workarounds in place.
Never Skimp on Testing
Whether physical or digital, always test. Russian engineers skipped double-checking that the 20-ton structure was fastened. As entrepreneurs, our equivalent might be not validating a new feature on a beta audience before broadcasting it to the entire market.
Appoint a Detail-Oriented Person
Having someone on your team whose sole role is operational vigilance can be worth every euro you spend. You don’t have to do it all yourself if you work solo, AI tools offer affordable support in areas like project tracking and risk mitigation.
Mistakes Every Founder Can Avoid
- Trusting legacy setups blindly. They worked before, but will they work today?
- Ignoring maintenance due to other priorities like fundraising. Balance both.
- Downplaying the "small" details. These often cause the most damage.
- Not having fallback procedures. Prepare for delays or disasters with alternatives.
- Overestimating your capacity to course-correct quickly. Some mistakes, like this one at Baikonur, haunt for years.
The Takeaway
The Soyuz launch incident is an extreme yet relatable metaphor for how a single neglected detail can escalate into a critical failure. For female founders and other entrepreneurs, the lesson resonates: beyond creativity and ambition, disciplined operational support systems are key.
After all, space exploration and startups share this truth, improvisation won't save you mid-launch. You’ll need thorough planning, adaptable processes, and tools (or teammates) to catch errors before they ground your momentum.
If you’re looking for platforms to refine your startup systems, I recommend starting small: leverage EU-funded business services or explore Fe/male Switch, my startup game where budding founders practice collaborative strategy-building in a female-first space.
Finding success may feel like rocket science, but applying these hard-learned lessons will save your startup from crashing down to Earth.
FAQ
1. What happened during the Soyuz rocket launch on November 28, 2025?
During the Soyuz launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a 20-ton service platform was left unsecured and blasted into the flame trench below when the rocket engines ignited. This caused severe damage to the launch pad. Although the rocket successfully carried its crew to the ISS, the pad is now inoperable. Read more on Ars Technica
2. Who were the crew aboard the Soyuz MS-28 mission?
The mission carried two Roscosmos cosmonauts, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams. All three safely arrived at the International Space Station. Learn more about the launch on Space News
3. How significant is the damage to Baikonur Cosmordome’s Site 31?
The structural damage to Site 31 is significant and may take up to two years to repair, according to expert Anatoly Zak. This pad is critical for Russian ISS crew and cargo launches. Discover more insights from Russian Space Web
4. What caused the damage to the service platform?
The oversight resulted from the failure to secure the 20-ton service platform used for final rocket preparations. Rocket thrust launched it into the flame trench, causing catastrophic damage to the pad. Explore the event on Space.com
5. How will this impact future Russian space operations?
Russia’s inability to launch from Site 31 puts its ISS resupply and crew transport missions in jeopardy, increasing dependence on U.S. private space ventures like SpaceX. Discover Russia’s operational risks on Aviation Week
6. What repair timeline has been projected by experts?
Reports indicate that repairing the damaged launch pad could take as long as two years. There is uncertainty surrounding whether temporary fixes can be implemented to resume launches sooner. Check out the damage assessment on Spacenews
7. Were there any alternative launch sites available for Russian space missions?
Russia could potentially adapt or repair other Soyuz launch pads like Site 1 or one at the Vostochny Cosmodrome for human spaceflight, but these options require significant funds and time to implement. Learn about alternative solutions on Russian Space Web
8. What lessons can startup founders learn from this incident?
Entrepreneurs can learn about the importance of detailed execution and contingency planning, as illustrated by the oversight during the Soyuz launch, which caused long-term operational setbacks. Explore entrepreneurial lessons
9. How does the incident impact international roles in maintaining the ISS?
Russia’s dependency on repairing its infrastructure increases the burden on U.S. partners, such as SpaceX, for maintaining consistent crew and cargo flights to the ISS. Read more on CNN
10. Why is maintaining launch pad infrastructure crucial for space missions?
Launch pads are foundational systems. Any oversight in preparing or maintaining them can disrupt critical operations, like ISS resupply missions, and damage credibility. Check out Fe/male Switch lessons for system reliability
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.