A shutdown command was immediately sent and pad crews began to move the service towers back in place and drain the propellants.

Its exhaust caused the Blok I third stage propellant tanks to overheat and explode, killing one person on the ground and damaging the Soyuz and core stage/strap-ons beyond repair.

LC-31 was also badly damaged and took seven months of repair work in the frigid Kazakhstan winter to be restored to use.

The reason for the LES firing was thought to be either a timer being activated due to the Earth's rotation affecting the gyroscope package in the launch vehicle or perhaps one of the service towers bumping it.

It malfunctioned yet again during retrofire, leading to a steeper than planned ballistic reentry and a 30 centimetres (12 in) hole being burned in the heat shield.