Russia develops Rassvet satellite constellation to replace Starlink

Russia is accelerating the development of Rassvet, a low-Earth orbit satellite constellation designed by Bureau 1440 to provide an indigenous alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink. The project aims to support military operations, civilian broadband, and connectivity for remote regions and transportation.

In 2026, Russia launched two batches of 16 production satellites each via Soyuz-2.1b rockets, on March 23 and July 19. However, the program faces significant technical and industrial challenges. Orbital data indicates that the constellation has not yet achieved continuous coverage. Reports show that at least one satellite from the first batch reentered Earth’s atmosphere after failing to reach its intended orbit, and several others have shown signs of malfunction, including failing to perform necessary orbital-raising maneuvers.

Russia intends to deploy approximately 300 Rassvet-3 satellites by the end of next year to achieve its goals. The project follows Russia's loss of access to Starlink services. While the network promises high speeds and low latency, current setbacks in satellite reliability and launch tempo remain major hurdles to its strategic ambitions.