First “Russian Starlink” satellite burns up after failing orbit raise

One of the satellites from Russia’s experimental broadband constellation, informally dubbed the “Russian Starlink”, has fallen back to Earth after failing to maintain its planned orbital trajectory, according to publicly available orbital tracking data.

The Rassvet satellite group, launched earlier in 2026, was intended to test low-Earth orbit communications capabilities, RussianSpaceWeb informs.

However, early tracking data indicated that several spacecraft in the cluster did not immediately begin orbital-raising manoeuvres following deployment.

For the first two weeks after launch, there were no clear signs that the satellites had activated their engines to raise their orbits to a more stable altitude. By April 6, 2026, orbital data for Object 16 (NORAD ID: 68375) showed the first upward adjustment. Another satellite in the group also appeared to climb slightly by April 7, while Object 16 continued intermittent orbit-raising manoeuvres.

By April 9, multiple spacecraft were observed adjusting their orbits, increasing their average altitude from below 310 kilometres to around 320 kilometres. In the second half of April, most of the constellation began gradual orbit maintenance or altitude gains of up to 40–50 kilometres.

However, Object 4 (NORAD ID: 68363, 2026-061D) showed a different pattern, steadily losing altitude without any evidence of corrective manoeuvres. As of early June 2026, six satellites in the group were slowly climbing, while eight others were maintaining altitude to counter natural orbital decay.

Object 4 is now believed to have re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere around 6 June 2026, likely burning up during re-entry. No official confirmation has yet been issued regarding the status of the satellite or the broader mission.

By Aghakazim Guliyev