Russia Says Its Starlink Rival ‘Rassvet’ Will Launch Commercially in 2027

Russia plans to launch a commercial satellite internet service “Rassvet” by next year, CEO of Iks Holding Alexei Shelobkov said at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on Friday, describing it as a domestic alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink. The company developing the system, Bureau 14440, says it launched its first 16 low-orbit Rassvet satellites in March 2026, and plans to reach up to 900 satellites by 2035.