Russia's Rassvet constellation loses second satellite in orbit failure

Russia's Rassvet satellite constellation, built by the privately owned company Bureau 1440 as a home-grown rival to SpaceX's Starlink, has lost a second satellite, according to satellite trackers and reports published on October 30 and 31, 2026. One of the satellites launched on July 19 failed to raise its orbit after launch and burned up as it fell back into the atmosphere, after an earlier unit, known as Object 4, had already dropped out of orbit. Trackers had flagged two satellites from the July launch that sank below 230 km without a single orbit-raising engine burn, with re-entry forecast around October 29 and November 1. One report said the second of those two has since begun raising its orbit. Bureau 1440 had not publicly announced either loss, according to Russian media cited in the coverage.

Low-orbit satellite broadband has become one of the most closely watched races in the technology industry. SpaceX's Starlink has shown that thousands of small satellites flying a few hundred kilometres above Earth can deliver fast internet almost anywhere, and governments now see such networks as strategic. Russia wants its own system so that it does not depend on foreign providers, and Bureau 1440's Rassvet project is its main attempt.

Losing a satellite is not unusual in a new constellation, but the pattern matters. Satellites in this kind of network are released into a low orbit and must then use their own engines to climb to their working height. A satellite that never fires its engine sinks quickly because of drag from the thin upper atmosphere and burns up within weeks. Two such cases from the same launch, plus the earlier loss of Object 4, raise questions about the reliability of the propulsion or control systems on early units.

The numbers also show how far the project is from its targets. With 22 satellites at working altitude in mid-October, reaching 156 in orbit by the end of the year would need a much faster launch pace. Analysts tracking the constellation have also noted that the satellites are gathering near 510 km, while the company's public website still lists an 800 km operating altitude, suggesting the design or plan may have changed.

There is disagreement about how bad the situation is. One Ukrainian outlet reported in September that all 16 satellites from the second batch had failed to reach operational orbit, while a later analysis by a Ukrainian military news site argued that this verdict was premature and that only the two units identified had clear problems. Much of the coverage comes from Ukrainian and Western outlets during the war, so claims should be read with that context; the tracking data itself is public.

For Indian readers, the story shows how difficult it is to build a working low-orbit broadband network, a business that several companies want to bring to Indian customers. Launch capacity, reliable satellite engines and the pace of deployment decide who succeeds.

Short-term: Bureau 1440 faces questions about the reliability of its early satellites and whether it can keep to its launch schedule. Trackers will watch the remaining satellites from the July launch closely.

Long-term: If the problems are fixed, Rassvet could still give Russia an independent broadband network, but delays would push back the planned start of service in 2027. Repeated failures would strengthen Starlink's lead in the market.

Who is affected: Bureau 1440 and its backers; Russian government and military users who would rely on the network; satellite operators and launch providers; and, indirectly, competitors such as SpaceX.

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