Bloomberg: Russia’s Rassvet satellites emerges as potential rival to Starlink

Russia has launched satellites for its low-Earth orbit Rassvet constellation, a project that could emerge as an alternative to Starlink operated by SpaceX, according to Bloomberg.

The agency reported that Russian aerospace company Bureau 1440 has deployed 16 production satellites of the Rassvet constellation into orbit, marking the first step in building a low-Earth orbit network potentially capable of competing with Starlink. The satellites were launched on March 23.

The launch is part of a large-scale initiative that Russia plans to expand in order to establish a sovereign satellite internet network.

The Rassvet low-Earth orbit constellation is expected to provide broadband internet access to users anywhere on Earth, including on board aircraft and trains. According to the company’s plans, the commercial service is scheduled to launch in 2027, by which time more than 250 satellites are expected to be in orbit. By 2035, the constellation could grow to around 900 satellites.

By Jeyhun Aghazada