The whole party from 16 satellites of the "Rassvet-3" project, launched 19 July 2026 year, failed to reach or maintain the planned altitude of low Earth orbit (close 800 km).
According to US space forces, the devices are at an altitude of 300–400 km. In such orbits, atmospheric resistance significantly shortens their service life, which will inevitably lead
before entering the atmosphere and burning.
The loss of the second batch of satellites is a serious obstacle to the creation of a Russian alternative to Starlink. Currently the Bureau 1440 put into orbit only 32 appliances. The reasons for the failure remain unclear; lifting maneuvers did not ensure that the working height was reached.
Analysts of the Institute for the Study of War note, that Russia, probably, is not ready for the accelerated deployment of the constellation and will face further delays.
According to estimates, a stable network requires 200–250 operational satellites. At startup rates 16 devices for one launch of the Soyuz-2.1b rocket, the formation of the constellation will last more than two years (subject to successful operation of all devices). Currently, the success rate of the program is close to 37,5 % (12 from 32 satellites).
Source: https://www.euronews.com