Russia needs 12–15 Soyuz launches to build its Starlink alternative
Russia will need between 12 and 15 successful launches of its Soyuz-2.1b rocket to assemble a minimum viable Rassvet satellite constellation, Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov said on Aug. 17.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Serhii Beskrestnov has stated that Russia will likely require between 12 and 15 successful launches of its Soyuz-2.1b rocket to construct a minimum viable Rassvet satellite constellation. Each Soyuz-2.1b can accommodate approximately 20 satellites in orbit. The Progress plant, which manufactures all the components of the Soyuz-2.1b except the engines, has been targeted by Ukrainian forces.
However, the full impact of this damage is still uncertain, according to Beskrestnov. Disrupting production on a substantial scale would necessitate considerable effort, as finished components may be stored at cosmodromes or in transit. While Russia also possesses an Angara-A5 rocket, manufactured in Omsk and launched less frequently (approximately once per year), it has a greater capacity, capable of launching about 60 satellites simultaneously.
The second group of communications satellites for the Rassvet project, designed to function similarly to SpaceX's Starlink, was launched on July 20. The initial satellites in the constellation were deployed in March.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
