SloveniaThe article reports on recent setbacks faced by Russia's ambitious plan to launch its own satellite internet network, competing with SpaceX's Starlink system. Newly launched satellites from the Rassvet series failed to reach their intended orbital altitude, instead uncontrollably descending toward Earth's atmosphere. Of 16 satellites launched on July 19th, two did not complete the maneuver, while others began losing altitude by August. None reached above 360 kilometers, significantly below the performance of earlier March-launched satellites. Despite these issues, the Russian firm Bureau 1440 claimed successful launches and connectivity with the control center, though official confirmation from Roscosmos and the Ministry of Defense was absent. The project aims to provide an independent broadband network to replace Starlink, with plans to deploy nearly 300 satellites by 2027 and over 900 by 2035. Ukraine closely monitors the situation, noting that the current satellite group provides only limited communication access over Ukraine.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information about technical failures in Russia's satellite program without overtly criticizing or praising the government's actions. It includes perspectives from both the Russian side (Bureau 1440) and the Ukrainian monitoring efforts, maintaining a balanced approach. S
