Bureau 1440 Launches 16 Rassvet Satellites for Drone Control as Russia Targets 156 in 2026
Updated
Updated · Мілітарний · Jun 12
Bureau 1440 Launches 16 Rassvet Satellites for Drone Control as Russia Targets 156 in 2026
3 articles · Updated · Мілітарний · Jun 12
Summary
Sixteen Rassvet satellites launched on March 23 are set to form the initial backbone of Russia’s low-Earth-orbit communications network for heavy-drone control and Starlink-like connectivity.
Putin said the constellation is being expanded for military and civilian use, with Russia aiming to restore reliable battlefield-style satellite links and claiming the system could surpass Starlink in some respects.
The 16-satellite launch followed two earlier test missions—3 spacecraft in 2023 and 3 more in May 2024—that checked data links, 5G NTN equipment and inter-satellite laser communications.
Russia’s federal plan calls for 156 satellites in 2026, 292 in 2027 for full commercial service and 318 in 2028, though a roughly three-month production delay on the first batch may push that schedule back.
Bureau 1440 has also finished a basic user terminal for mass production and is developing versions for aircraft and trains, with a longer-term option to deploy more than 900 satellites by 2035.