Russia launches first Rassvet satellites in bid to rival Starlink

2026-03-24 - 08:49

A Russian private aerospace company, Bureau 1440, has initiated the deployment of its Rassvet satellite constellation by launching the first 16 spacecraft into low Earth orbit. The move, announced on Tuesday, represents a significant advancement in Moscow’s effort to establish a homegrown broadband network capable of challenging the dominance of US‐based Starlink. A step toward orbital independence According to a statement published on Telegram, the satellites were successfully placed into a reference orbit on Monday and will proceed to their designated operational orbit following system checks. Bureau 1440 noted that the launch marks “the transition from experiments to the creation of a communications service,” achieved in 1,000 days. The next phase envisions “dozens of launches and hundreds of satellites” to complete Russia’s low‐orbit constellation for global coverage. Expanding global competition in space The Rassvet project, which currently includes six experimental satellites already in orbit, aims to provide internet access anywhere on Earth. Under the company’s roadmap, commercial services are slated to begin in 2027, with an initial fleet of over 250 satellites. By 2035, the constellation could expand to 900 units, according to state outlet Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Bakanov underscored the strategic intent last May, stating: “We will respond to Starlink with the Rassvet project [from] Bureau 1440. We will also have low‐orbit broadband communications.” As global powers accelerate their space‐based infrastructure, Türkiye continues to monitor these developments closely while advancing its own national space program, aiming to secure strategic autonomy in satellite technologies.