Russian 'Starlink' Equivalent Facing Major Setbacks

Russia's ambitious 'Rassvet' (Sunrise) project, aimed at creating a Starlink-like satellite network, has encountered significant issues. The second batch of 16 satellites launched in July failed to reach their intended working orbit of around 550 kilometers. As of August 31, none of these satellites had reached the planned height, with most orbiting between 300 and 400 kilometers. Several satellites are already losing altitude due to orbital decay, and at least two are reportedly moving towards re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. This failure follows similar issues with the first batch launched in March, where only 12 out of 16 satellites reached the intended altitude. The lower orbits significantly reduce the lifespan of the satellites due to increased atmospheric drag. Russia currently lacks the launch capacity to quickly deploy its own satellite constellation, with only six to eight launches of the necessary 'Soyuz-2.1b' rockets conducted annually. Moreover, the Progress Space Center in Samara, where these rockets are assembled, was struck by the Ukrainian military on August 15.