Russia enters low Earth orbit satellites race to challenge Musk's Starlink, UK's OneWeb

Moscow is beginning to build a satellite reportedly designed as a Russian alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation of internet satellites.

The device will be used for digital mapping and to provide communications to distant areas, according to the head of the country’s space agency.

Roscosmos to manufacture and launch 300 ‘Zorkiy’ satellites

Russia is preparing to establish its own satellite system meant to become the domestic analogue to Starlink, developed and operated by U.S. tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

The nation is gearing up to start producing satellites for the network, announced Dmitry Bakanov, general director of the Russian State Corporation for Space Activities “Roscosmos,” who was interviewed by the state-controlled Channel One ahead of the weekend.

According to the Russian press, the satellite named “Zorkiy” is the backbone of the “Rassvet” project, conceived as a response to America’s Starlink.

Also quoted by the official TASS news agency on Saturday, Bakanov detailed that its production will begin in 2026 and more than 300 units will form an orbital group around the Earth by 2027.

Demonstrating the device, the Roscosmos official announced:

“Here is the ‘Zorkiy’ satellite. It is an apparatus that captures images from space, and based on these images, digital maps are created, which are then used for navigation by unmanned vehicles … This year, serial production of this equipment will begin.”

Bakanov added that the satellite system will also facilitate communications in remote regions, where traditional land-based connections are either absent or unstable, elaborating:

“It is also crucial to provide communications to all areas not covered by terrestrial networks. We have a Russian development on display here today for precisely this purpose. This is a terminal for broadband internet access anywhere on Earth.”

Will Russia’s satellite system be a true alternative to Starlink?

Just like Starlink, the Rassvet network will consist of low Earth orbit satellites, which significantly reduces the cost of data transmission in comparison with geostationary satellites.

The low orbit allows for high-resolution imagery and satellite internet connection. While speaking on national TV, the Roscosmos CEO did present a module providing broadband access to the online space.

However, the agency later posted on Telegram an excerpt from the video report with Bakanov’s comments, which had been quoted by a number of Russian publications, and clarified:

“Earlier, media outlets reported that the head of Roscosmos called Zorky an analogue of Starlink on Channel One. This interpretation is inaccurate. Starlink is a satellite communications system. Zorky-2M is an Earth remote sensing satellite.”

What about Rassvet’s main purpose?

The Rassvet network, touted as Russia’s equivalent of Starlink, will transform troop command and control, while the Zorkiy satellites will improve the efficiency of high-precision strikes, Russian military expert Yuri Knutov spilled the beans in an interview with the Vzglyad newspaper.

Also quoted by the Izvestia daily on Sunday, Knutov made it clear the satellite system will primarily address military objectives and mostly facilitate communications for Russian forces on the ground, emphasizing:

“This is the creation of a global automated troop command and control system, where every service member will be able to receive information and transmit coordinates directly to the satellite.”

As for its civilian application, Rassvet will provide internet access in certain regions of the Russian Federation and expand communications with civilian vessels, he nevertheless confirmed.

If its satellites are positioned in optimal orbits, the system should significantly improve the reliability of communications and navigation, especially in the Arctic, the specialist added.

While admitting Rassvet’s limited capabilities, compared to Starlink, Knutov described it as a significant step for Russia, aimed at outperforming the U.K.-based OneWeb satellite network, which serves corporate entities and military units.

Access to Starlink has given the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which have been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion since 2022, a significant advantage on the battlefield, where satellite communications and unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, have proved indispensable.

Earlier in January, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved SpaceX’s deployment of 7,500 additional second-generation Starlink satellites, bringing the total of its authorized satellites to 15,000, as reported by Cryptopolitan.

Last month, China applied to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), requesting orbital locations and frequencies for over 200,000 satellites. The move is seen as an apparent attempt to challenge the dominance of SpaceX and the United States in this space and market.

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