Launch of “Russian Starlink” Postponed Due to Satellite Production Failure

The launch of the first batch of 16 communications satellites, which was to be carried out by the Russian company Bureau 1440 at the end of last year, has been postponed.

This was reported by The Moscow Times.

In September 2025, Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov promised that by the end of 2025, the first 300 satellites would begin to be deployed in orbit as part of the Rassvet project. They are supposed to become “an analogue of the Starlink system” and provide “access to the internet at any geographical point.”

According to the publication, the postponement of the launch of the first 16 devices until 2026 may be due to the fact that the required number of satellites has not yet been assembled.

The Russian company Bureau 1440, which is implementing the project, said that it is carrying out the work “in accordance with the target deadlines.”

“The exact launch dates and other sensitive information are not subject to disclosure,” the company said.

The Russian federal budget has allocated 102.8 billion rubles ($1.36 billion) for the implementation of the project within the framework of the national “Data Economy” project. Bureau 1440 is to contribute another 329 billion rubles ($4.36 billion) from its own funds by 2030.

According to the plan, the first 16 devices were to be launched into orbit in 2025, with their number increasing to 156 in 2026, 292 in 2027, and 318 in 2028.

Currently, only six Bureau 1440 satellites launched as part of two experimental missions are in orbit.

In June 2025, Bakanov stated that under the Rassvet project, more than 900 low-orbit satellites designed to provide Internet access should be launched by 2035.

It should be noted that the Ukrainian project for the low-orbit UASAT LEO satellites has moved into the implementation phase. The launch of the first Ukrainian satellite is scheduled for October 2026, and a launch slot has already been reserved.

Overall, the Ukrainian technology company STETMAN has an ambitious goal — to create a constellation of 245 communication satellites in low orbit.