The Rassvet network aims to deliver broadband internet to remote areas and aircraft in flight

A Russian private space company has successfully placed into orbit the first 16 satellites of a planned broadband internet network intended as a domestic alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink.

On Tuesday, developer Bureau 1440 released footage showing the Rassvet satellites separating from their launch rocket. According to the company, all units are functioning properly and will maneuver into their assigned orbits after completing system checks.

Bureau 1440 previously carried out test launches in June 2023 and May 2024, each deploying three prototype satellites. The company says the technology has since matured and is moving into full deployment. The first phase of the project envisions more than 250 satellites equipped with laser transponders for in-orbit communications by late 2027, with plans to expand the constellation to around 900 satellites by 2035.

Starlink, which began commercial service in 2020, has been viewed skeptically by some Russian officials, who have described it as effectively a Pentagon communications system operating under a civilian guise.

That perception was reinforced in 2022 when Musk provided Starlink terminals to Kiev following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. The Ukrainian authorities have credited the system as being essential for supporting military logistics, though Musk has also faced criticism for banning its use in long-range drone attacks against Russia.

Russia's satellite internet project was launched in 2020, initially funded by mobile phone operator Megafon before being transferred to X-Holding, a major domestic IT group. Bureau 1440 receives government support and relies on launch services from the national space agency Roscosmos.

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During the 2023 demonstration, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko showcased the technology by conducting a video call from Moscow with an official located on Mount Fisht, a remote site roughly 1,300 kilometers away. The company says its main goal is to expand connectivity in remote regions with underdeveloped ground infrastructure and to ensure internet access for long-distance transport, including trains and aircraft.