Russia’s Starlink rival falls short: None of 30 Rassvet satellites has reached planned orbit, HUR reports

Ukraine's military intelligence has reported that Russia's Rassvet low-Earth orbit satellite communications system has faced significant setbacks in achieving its deployment goals. The project, which aims to provide satellite internet coverage and support military communications, has launched 30 satellites in two batches, but only 28 have reached stable positions at an altitude of approximately 500-520 kilometers, while none have reached the planned operational altitude of 800 kilometers.

The remaining two satellites are still maneuvering to reach their target orbit. Russia had planned to expand the constellation to 47-48 satellites by the end of 2026, with longer-term targets of 408 satellites by 2031 and 924 by 2035. However, the third launch, originally scheduled for this year, has reportedly been canceled or postponed.

The system's key technology is inter-satellite laser communication, allowing satellites to transfer data directly without relying on ground infrastructure. The ground segment of the system is centered on a main control center in Moscow, with additional ground stations planned across Russia. Developing user terminals is another challenge, with Russia completing testing of its Ultra terminal in September 2026, which has a claimed download speed of up to 650 Mbps.

The project, overseen by Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov, has links to Russia's former cooperation with British satellite operator OneWeb, which ended following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.