Is Russia's rival to Starlink failing? Here's what we know.
Summary
Russia has started launching its Rassvet satellites, which aim to compete with SpaceX's Starlink for internet connectivity. So far, some of the Rassvet satellites have not reached their planned orbit heights, and a few show signs of technical problems.Key Facts
- Russia launched 32 Rassvet satellites in two batches (March and July) to provide internet services.
- Russia plans to deploy about 300 Rassvet satellites by the end of next year and 924 by 2035.
- None of the Rassvet satellites have yet reached their target orbit of 500 miles; the highest so far is just over 300 miles.
- Some satellites failed to raise their orbits or stopped functioning, and at least three satellites likely failed completely.
- SpaceX’s Starlink experienced early satellite failures but improved over time, now having a very low failure rate.
- The US military also operates its own satellite network, and some of its early satellites faced problems raising their orbits.
- It is unclear if Russia might change Rassvet’s operating altitude to about 300 miles, similar to Starlink, which could have both benefits and drawbacks.
- Analysts continue to monitor the situation, but the full performance and success of Rassvet are still uncertain.
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