Russia's bid to launch a Starlink rival is falling embarrassingly short 'Rassvet' is losing satellites faster than it can build them

Date:
Thu, 27 Aug 2026 21:35:00 +0000

Description:
Russia's Rassvet broadband constellation faces orbital difficulties, stalled satellites, and potential launch infrastructure disruptions threatening its ambitious 2027 deployment schedule.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Some Rassvet satellites remain dangerously low after failing to raise their orbits One Rassvet spacecraft
has already fallen from orbit and reentered Earth's atmosphere Two newer satellites have shown no observed orbital-raising maneuvers since July 2026 Moscow's push to field its own broadband satellite network is running into some technical and industrial issues, new reports have revealed.

Bureau 1440, the company developing the Rassvet-3 system, has sent up two batches of spacecraft in 2026, one in March and another in July. According to reports, some of these systems did not climb smoothly toward their intended altitude; instead, they stalled, drifted, or fell back toward Earth. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: A satellite already lost, others trending downward One craft from the first group, known as Rassvet-3 No. 4, never managed to raise its orbit after separating from its rocket.

That satellite, catalogued as NORAD 68363, eventually reentered the
atmosphere on June 6, marking an outright loss for the young constellation. You may like Russia to launch Rassvet Starlink rival within days with 318-strong satellite constellation expected by 2028 Russia's accelerating Starlink rival development means that war in space is not just probable; it's inevitable Russia debuts anti-Starlink EW system that can blind terminals by overloading 'satellites' receiving antennas'

Two more spacecraft from the second launch group, numbers 17 and 23, appear
to be following a similar pattern of inactivity.

Tracking data shows neither satellite has performed any observed maneuver to climb higher since it separated from its carrier rocket on July 19. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
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Both currently sit at an average altitude near 290 kilometers, with their lowest points measured at roughly 277 kilometers above the surface.

Without engine activity to counter this decline, the pair could eventually drop low enough that reentry becomes essentially unavoidable.

However, there are some positives, as some of the satellites have
successfully begun climbing, though none has reached the network's target altitude of about 800 kilometers. What to read next China and Russia have a secret 'no limit' pact to eliminate Elon Musk's Starlink at all cost Ukraine set to get its own 'Starlink' satellite constellation with SpaceX starting in 2027 as $1bn project powers on despite CEO death Researchers show how Russian satellites can jam GPS across Europe

Spacecraft from the earliest operational batch launched just over five months ago, and at the moment, they hover between 500 and 550 kilometers.

A few more units from the group are not yet at that intermediate range, which means that the company is yet to hit its long-term altitude plan.

The Bureau 1440 has now paused raising some Rassvet satellites higher toward their planned 800-kilometer orbit, and the company hasn't revealed the reason for the pause. Ground infrastructure adds to the program's troubles Russia intends for the Rassvet network to rival SpaceX's Starlink by offering fast internet through hundreds of orbiting satellites.

Officials have said commercial service should begin in 2027, with plans calling for 292 satellites to be functioning in orbit by year's end.

Meeting that timeline would require Bureau 1440 to conduct a rapid sequence
of additional launches over the coming months.

A separate complication has now emerged on the ground, far from the
satellites already circling the planet.

Ukrainian forces allegedly used FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles to strike Samara's Progress Rocket and Space Center.

That facility builds the Soyuz-2.1b rockets responsible for carrying every Rassvet-3 satellite launched so far this year.

The plant also supports numerous other Russian launches, including several military, reconnaissance, and communications missions unrelated to broadband service.

The rocket production capacity is one of the central bottlenecks limiting the constellation's overall deployment pace.

Should the damage at Progress persist, sustaining the launch tempo needed to reach nearly 300 satellites may prove genuinely difficult.

Via United24media Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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