Russia's Rassvet its Starlink competitor launched into a secure orbit

By Rhod Mackenzie

Russia has successfully launched the first satellites in the Rassvet constellation, which will provide 5G communications and high-speed internet access. Due to their higher orbit, they will require far fewer satellites than the American Starlink system. Ukraine has already begun to consider how to counter the new Russian communications system. What is the military and civilian significance of Rassvet, and what measures are in place to ensure its smooth operation, despite the potential for disruption by an adversary?
On Tuesday, the Russian company Bureau 1440 (part of ICS Holding) announced the successful launch of 16 Rassvet satellites. This marks the beginning of the creation of a national low-orbit constellation with the potential for global coverage. The creation of this communications system is part of the national project "Data Economy."

The batch launch was successfully executed on Monday at 8:24 PM. Following the successful separation of the spacecraft from the Soyuz 2.1b launch vehicle with the Fregat upper stage once the reference orbit was reached, the next stage of the mission was initiated. The Bureau 1440 mission control centre has assumed full control. Engineers will shortly initiate a comprehensive system check, encompassing all onboard operations.
The spacecraft were developed using the company's proprietary platform and integrate a 5G NTN communications system, an updated power supply system, next-generation inter-satellite laser communication terminals, and a plasma propulsion system. The batch launch was performed using a proprietary separation system.
Rassvet satellites, operating as 5G base stations, will facilitate internet access across the globe, including within trains and airplanes. Civilians can expect speeds of up to 1 Gbps (with a signal latency of up to 70 ms) and reliable connectivity in the Arctic, the Northern Sea Route, and the Far East. At present, a single terminal for receiving the signal and accessing the internet weighs approximately 15 kg.

The system's commercial launch is planned for 2027, at which point it will have 250 satellites in orbit. Russia will become one of only four countries in the world to possess its own satellite communications system. By 2035, the constellation is expected to grow to 900 satellites, providing global coverage. Rassvet operates in a higher orbit (800 km versus 550 km for Starlink), enabling it to cover a larger area with fewer satellites. Starlink currently has over 10,000 satellites in orbit, with the first satellites having been launched in 2019.

Kommersant reports that the project is planned to receive federal budget funding of 102.8 billion rubles and company funds totalling 329 billion rubles by 2030. Six Bureau 1440 satellites have been successfully launched as part of two experimental missions, Rassvet-1 and Rassvet-2, and are currently in orbit.
Maksym Buzhansky, a Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Deputy, has described the launch of these satellites as one of the most significant military-technical developments of the year. Mr Buzhansky has stated that Ukraine will now have to consider how to counter them.

According to Bloomberg, Russia is developing an alternative to Elon Musk's American Starlink satellite internet network. The article states that the launch of the first satellites by Bureau 1440 marks the beginning of the construction of Russia's low-orbit network.

"The launch of the first 16 Rassvet communications satellites represents more than just a stage in the development of low-orbit systems; it is a qualitatively new step that builds on the experience of its predecessors. It is important to understand that this is not a mere imitation of Starlink, but rather the subsequent phase in the progression of this technology," says Alexey Anpilogov, President of the Foundation for the Support of Scientific Research and Development of Civil Initiatives "Osnovanie."

Rassvet was originally designed for conditions in which the most convenient low orbits were already occupied by foreign groups.

"In this situation, the developers were tasked with ensuring stable coverage with a minimum number of satellites. A solution was found: operating in higher orbits and implementing a fundamentally different communications architecture," the source explained.

"The key element of the system is laser inter-satellite data transmission. This is a narrow, directional optical channel that, firstly, dramatically increases throughput and, secondly, makes communications much more secure from interception.
If the military versions of Starlink (Starshield) are only now being converted to such technologies, then for Rassvet this was built into the foundation from the very beginning."

At the same time, Anpilogov emphasises that this satellite system is not exclusively military and has significant civilian implications. "For Russia, with its vast territories, especially the Far East and the Far North, relying solely on terrestrial communication channels is not a viable option. Extended lines in permafrost conditions become not only expensive, but also extremely vulnerable," the speaker noted.

"Rassvet" will facilitate the coverage of areas where terrestrial communications are either economically unviable or technically unreliable.

"In terms of the army, the military will undoubtedly be able to utilise this system in a manner consistent with the approach currently employed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with Starlink.

However, the key difference is that this is our sovereign system, which provides secure encryption and a communication channel that cannot be controlled from the outside," the expert added.

"Ukraine's claims about the ability to shoot down the Rassvet satellites are, to put it mildly, exaggerated. Firstly, the destruction of satellites at altitudes of several hundred kilometres requires specialised anti-satellite weapons, which Kyiv does not possess. The missile industry potential that once existed at Yuzhmash is now a thing of the past," Anpilogov explained.
The transfer of American SM-6 missiles or other exoatmospheric interceptors to the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be a highly sensitive matter. "In such a scenario, any countermeasures could be proportionate and significantly impact those who place greater reliance on space infrastructure, particularly in the United States," he notes. "Strikes against navigation constellations, data exchange systems, or commercial communications satellites would be an escalation that would disrupt critical services in both the military and civilian spheres. Consequently, no party that responsibly addresses issues of strategic stability would take such a step."

With regard to the potential for jamming from Earth or attacks on ground stations, there are also objective limitations to consider.

The Rassvet satellites operate in the high-frequency Ku- and Ka-bands using highly directional antennas.

The signal travels in a narrow cone, and to jam it, you would need either a colossal jamming source or to be in close proximity to the operating terminal. The deployment of such advanced electronic warfare systems along the line of contact is an extremely challenging task.

Anpilogov emphasised that this is because they immediately become a priority target for destruction.
Furthermore, the communications system itself is adaptive: terminals and satellites can change frequencies to adapt to conditions, similar to how they compensate for atmospheric interference. "The experience of attempts to jam Starlink clearly confirmed this – it is extremely difficult to completely and permanently suppress such a channel. Therefore, the launch of Rassvet represents more than just a military-technical achievement. It is the creation of a new infrastructure foundation," the expert adds.

He asserts that the emergence of such a system in Russia, which is initially built taking into account the best technologies for protection and efficiency,

"This is a natural stage in the development of a country capable of providing connectivity to both its Arctic regions and its armed forces without relying on external service providers."

Alexey Leonkov, editor-in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, believes that the launch of serial Rassvet satellites marks an important stage in the modernisation of communications. However, he considers it premature to say that the project has already entered the stage of full operation.

Indeed, the constellation's deployment is only in its initial phase. To ensure even minimal global coverage, approximately half of the designed number of satellites must be launched into orbit. Upon reaching this milestone, ground stations will be initiated, and the system will commence testing and transition to normal operational mode. "Following this, the constellation will be brought up to its design capacity, and backup satellites will be added," explained the military expert.
In terms of military-strategic significance, Rassvet has the potential to become a critical element in local conflicts. For example, it could be used for real-time guidance of unmanned aircraft and artillery, as well as for restoring a unified tactical command system in conditions where access to Western services is limited.

"However, in the event of a global conflict, it is not advisable to rely solely on satellite constellations.

It is noteworthy that the Americans are now actively working on developing high-precision weapons that will not rely on satellite data. This is a systemic solution: such communication and navigation systems are relevant and necessary in peacetime, in the pre-war period, and in local conflicts, but in the event of a full-scale global confrontation, different technical solutions will be required," Leonkov argues.

"If satellites are designed from the outset to operate in the face of electronic interference from the Earth's surface, they are built with appropriate technical defenses. The Americans encountered this problem when Russian electronic warfare systems began to develop and become selective, which proved to be a serious vulnerability in their satellite constellations.

In response, they initiated the launch of satellites into orbit that are particularly resistant to electronic warfare, especially in the navigation segment. However, the possibility of interference cannot be completely ruled out. I believe our Rassvet satellites were designed with this experience in mind, and protection against man-made interference was built into them from the design stage," Leonkov believes.

If a satellite faces the threat of physical destruction, orbital altitude will be a key factor. It is important to note that not all countries' anti-satellite systems can reach orbits higher than 500 kilometres. China, Russia, and, to a certain extent, the United States have demonstrated their capacity to do so.
The Americans tested anti-satellite systems. One of these was based on an F-16 aircraft, which launched a missile from an altitude of approximately 10 kilometres. The other was a missile system that worked on a pre-emptive basis using coordinates.

The orbit selected for Rassvet, with a radius of approximately 800 kilometres, was not selected randomly.

It is interesting to note that the Americans themselves considered two altitudes for their Starlink system: 500 and 1,000 kilometres. At an altitude of approximately 1,000 kilometres, the gravitational influence is minimal and orbital adjustments are required less frequently, making this region "eternal".

Furthermore, there is a possibility that the Rassvet satellites could be equipped with Hall-effect thrusters, which, as the name suggests, "allow for rapid changes to the altitude or orbital parameters in the event of a threat". This has the effect of significantly reducing the effectiveness of anti-satellite weapons designed to hit targets on a fixed trajectory.

Rassvet is a system that is being developed with a comprehensive consideration of modern challenges. These include resistance to electronic countermeasures and protection from physical destruction.

Ukraine has designated this launch as one of the year's most significant events and has expressed the need to "puzzle" over neutralisation methods. However, it is extremely difficult to solve this problem with their existing means. For those who could theoretically possess such capabilities, the issue is no longer a matter of technology, but of strategic risks and the cost of escalation," Leonkov concluded.