Musk’s Collaboration with Zelensky Induces Serious Competition for Musk: Russia Launches Satellites to Replace Starlink

 

“Russia has launched the first 16 satellites into space—part of a program named ‘Rasswet’ (Dawn)—that are intended to eventually provide internet connectivity on Earth and serve as a replacement for the American provider Starlink.

 

On Tuesday morning, the aerospace company ‘Bureau 1440’ released images purporting to show the satellites detaching from their launch vehicle. According to Vitaly Egorov—a Russian blogger specializing in space topics—the rocket had launched on Monday evening from the Ministry of Defense’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome, located in Russia’s northwestern Arkhangelsk region.

 

‘Bureau 1440’ further stated that the satellites are now being maneuvered into their target orbits, after which they are expected to establish a connection. The company indicated that ‘dozens of launches and hundreds of satellites’ would be required to ensure ‘global coverage’ from a low Earth orbit.

 

Starlink—the model for the ‘Rasswet’ project—currently operates a constellation of more than 10,000 satellites, with plans to launch even more.”