Russia’s Starlink Rival Suffers a Setback

Russia’s attempt to expand its own satellite communications network has suffered a setback after none of the 16 satellites in the second Rassvet batch reached the required operating altitude.

The satellites launched on July 19. Data from the N2YO tracking platform showed that by Aug. 31, most remained between 300 and 400 kilometers above Earth, well below the planned 550-kilometer operating altitude and the 870 kilometers cited as the target. Some satellites were already losing altitude, and at least two were reportedly approaching atmospheric reentry.

Lower orbits shorten a satellite’s working life. Atmospheric drag acts more strongly at those heights, forcing satellites to use fuel faster. The first batch, launched on March 24, performed better: 12 of its 16 satellites reached the required altitude and were still maintaining 550 kilometers at the end of August.

Those 12 satellites provide Russian forces with communications through ground terminals for up to 90 minutes twice a day as they pass over Ukraine. The network also allows more precise remote control of drones during the periods when satellite communications are available.

Russia turned to Rassvet after losing access to Starlink communications on Feb. 1. The Institute for the Study of War said the second-batch failure indicated that Moscow had not been prepared for such a rapid deployment schedule and that further delays could follow. Bureau 1440, the aerospace company developing Rassvet, has announced plans for dozens more launches and hundreds of additional satellites. Russia would need at least 200 to 300 operating satellites for stable, round-the-clock coverage over Ukraine.

Ukraine has also attacked facilities linked to the system. Ukrainian forces struck the Progress space-rocket center on the night of Aug. 15, and attempted to hit the Plesetsk cosmodrome on Aug. 23, two days before a planned Soyuz-2.1b launch. Both Rassvet batches were launched from Plesetsk.