{
  "id": 5314081,
  "title": "Russia's Starlink rival is already struggling as satellites fail to reach their planned orbits",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/russias-starlink-rival-is-already-struggling-as-satellites-fail-to",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-03T11:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechSpot",
    "slug": "techspot",
    "url": "https://www.techspot.com/news/113718-russia-starlink-rival-already-struggling-satellites-fail-reach.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russia's ambitious satellite internet project, Rassvet, is facing early challenges as the 16 satellites launched in June have not reached their intended operating altitude, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The satellites were supposed to orbit at 870 kilometers above Earth, but many are now circling between 300 and 400 kilometers high, with some experiencing a decline in altitude. Two satellites have even started re-entering the atmosphere. This situation adds to concerns about Rassvet, a low-Earth-orbit network developed by Bureau 1440 as Russia's domestic alternative to SpaceX's Starlink. A lower orbit can lead to a shorter satellite lifespan due to increased atmospheric drag, requiring more fuel to maintain position. If the satellites cannot achieve or sustain their planned orbit, they may retire earlier than planned. The June group was the second Rassvet deployment; the first 16 satellites launched in March also encountered issues, with only 12 of 16 reaching their expected altitude. Russia envisions a constellation of 900 satellites by 2035, with an interim goal of 250 operational satellites by 2027. The early launch results could pose difficulties in meeting these targets, as a functioning broadband constellation requires hundreds of satellites. At its current size, Rassvet only provides two daily coverage periods, each lasting up to 90 minutes, which is insufficient for continuous communications. The program must demonstrate its ability to place satellites in the correct orbit, maintain them, and quickly launch replacements to build a reliable network.",
  "summary": "The satellites were expected to operate at 870 kilometers (540 miles) above Earth. Instead, many are orbiting between 300 and 400 kilometers (186 and 249 miles), while some are already losing altitude. Two are now re-entering the atmosphere. Read Entire Article",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}