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Posted on 09/02/2026 10:04:57 AM PDT by tlozo
An entire batch of Russian low Earth orbit satellites, intended to help create Moscow's version of Starlink, has failed to reach or remain at their anticipated altitudes just over a month after launch.
The 16 Rassvet-3 satellites, launched on July 19, were originally supposed to orbit the Earth at an altitude of roughly 500 miles, according to the company developing the constellation, Bureau 1440.
But publicly available US Space Force data shows that, as of Tuesday, the Rassvet-3 satellites are instead orbiting at altitudes of between 190 miles and 250 miles.
Atmospheric drag at that altitude significantly shortens a satellite's operational lifespan. Without intervention, those conditions gradually pull satellites lower to Earth until they reenter the atmosphere and burn up or break apart.
Losing these 16 satellites — Bureau 1440's second batch of the Rassvet-3 — would be a significant setback for Moscow's ambition to create its own alternative to Starlink, a priority for the Kremlin after SpaceX cut off satellite internet service to Russian forces on February 1.
Rassvet-3 is meant to help fill that gap, but Bureau 1440 has launched only 32 satellites so far, including this latest batch...
It's unclear what prevented the satellites from reaching higher altitudes. Positional data indicates that many of them engaged in maneuvers to climb upward, though none of these appear to have come close to helping the satellites reach their operational orbit yet.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
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Elon Musk’s SpaceX has roughly 11,100 Starlink satellites in orbit as of late August 2026
Russia’s corruption bites it in the ass again.
Too much corruption and too much residual from USSR Communism to be successfully competitive.
Need the space vehicle equivalent of ED pills.
At least they’re consistent. 🤷
it goes to show how incredible SpaceX and Starlink really are, entire nations can’t launch at the pace of SpaceX, can’t reuse their launch vehicles, can’t get the satellites to remain in LEO, heck NASA can’t even do this, it takes a startup private company to get it done.
How high do you want to be? Russia needs to hire Snoop Dogg or Willie Nelson as consultants.
Yay, communism!
A lot of space stuff is largely experimental. My son works for a startup agency. Their first satellite lasted just under an hour before losing comms. The second one lasted a few days. The third one remained and as far as I know remains operational. I don’t know how many they have up now.
Great contrast, a private American business doing what governments can’t accomplish as a national goal, and one would think that science, technology, and space operations on this scale would require governments.
Episode #2356 of “We got ‘em this time!”
Star Lunk. Is good!
What happened Boris.....forget to attach ground wire? 😂😂😂
🤣
Proof positive vodka and satellites don’t mix. Lol!
Imagine if SpaceX gets close to their goals of launching hundreds if not thousands of Starships which will exponentially increase what can be carried into space.
It is likely that SpaceX is the target of intense espionage interest by state and non-state actors. I hope they are protecting their IP and know-how!
If these are the same engineers that designed the Yugo that would explain it
And now they launch them piggy back on “test flights.”
SpaceX is so far ahead of everyone else it doesn’t seem fair.
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