Russia plans to launch hundreds more satellites for its Starlink alternative in 2027, Ukraine says
Russia has launched 30 satellite into orbit for its Rassvet project, but they have yet to reach their target altitude, Ukraine said on Friday.
Ukraine's military intelligence agency reports that Russia plans to launch hundreds more satellites for its Rassvet system in 2027, despite previous setbacks. The Rassvet constellation, billed as a Starlink alternative, would be comprised of up to 408 satellites by 2031 and 924 by 2035, according to Ukrainian intelligence. Currently, Russia has launched 30 satellites for Rassvet this year, with 26 reaching a stable position at around 320 miles above Earth, though none have reached the planned 500-mile altitude.
The satellites rely on laser communication, rather than ground stations, to transfer data and are launched using the Soyuz-2.1b rocket. Ukraine has faced disruptions to its Starlink services, which are crucial for their drone operations. Recently, Ukraine detected speed limits of 100 miles per hour affecting Starlink services in Russian-occupied territory, impacting their ability to intercept Russian attack drones.
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