The “national Starlink” debuts in Russia.
The Moscow-based company Bureau 1440 has launched 16 broadband satellites, marking the operational start of a low Earth orbit network that Russian officials describe as a domestic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink, as reported by Bloomberg.
The development highlights the growing competition in the satellite internet sector, where states and companies compete for technological leadership and market share. Low Earth orbit (LEO) is becoming an increasingly strategic segment, thanks to its ability to offer high-speed and low-latency connections — that is, faster signal transmission times compared to satellites in higher orbits.
However, catching up with SpaceX remains complex: Starlink recently surpassed 10,000 active satellites, consolidating its leadership and widening the gap with competitors.
Elon Musk’s service also played a crucial role in communications during the war in Ukraine. After the Russian invasion, Moscow attempted to cut off internet access in the country, including efforts to block Starlink, which were countered by SpaceX through system updates and reinforcements.
All the details.
THE LAUNCH OF BUREAU 1440’S FIRST SATELLITES
The satellites were launched at 8:24 PM on Monday and, once they reached the planned orbit, were taken over by the company’s mission control center, Bureau 1440 announced on Telegram.
The launch marks the transition from the experimental phase to the construction of an operational communication service. The company specified that it took about 1,000 days from the first test to the initial deployment of the constellation.
THE NEXT STEPS
The next phase involves dozens of launches and the positioning of hundreds of satellites to complete the low orbit network intended for global communications.
THE RASSVET PROJECT
The launch is part of the broader Rassvet (Dawn) project, which Moscow intends to significantly expand in the coming years. Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Bakanov stated that Russia will respond to Starlink with the Rassvet project, aiming to develop broadband communications in low orbit. The satellites will operate in low Earth orbit to ensure high-speed and low-latency connections.
The goal is to build a national satellite internet network comparable, at least conceptually, to Starlink, although still far behind in size and capacity, notes Bloomberg.
The constellation is designed to provide broadband access across the entire Russian territory and represent an autonomous strategic infrastructure.
THE RESOURCES
The project is one of the pillars of the Russian national program for the “Data Economy.” The federal budget allocates 102.8 billion rubles (about 1.14 billion euros), supplemented by private investments of 329 billion rubles by 2030, according to The Moscow Times.
THE TIMELINE
In June 2025, Bakanov stated that by 2035 more than 900 satellites are planned to be launched into low orbit, with commercial operations of over 250 of them expected to start by 2027.
The Roscosmos head also indicated that deployment of the first 300 satellites could begin by the end of 2025. Yet, currently, six experimental Bureau 1440 satellites are in orbit, launched in previous test missions.
STARLINK’S DOMINANCE
According to the official project documentation, 16 launches were planned for 2025, which would then increase to 156 in 2026, 292 in 2027, and 318 in 2028, for a total of 24 launches by 2030.
As already mentioned, however, only six Bureau 1440 satellites are currently in orbit, highlighting the delay compared to major competitors. Starlink continues to distance itself from the rest of the market, while other operators such as Amazon’s Kuiper project and the Canadian Telesat have yet to deploy large-scale operational constellations. Behind SpaceX is the European OneWeb, the second-largest low Earth orbit network, with about 630 satellites already operational.
