Putin Touts Russia's Rassvet Satellite System as Starlink Rival, Claims Contact With Musk

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia maintains close contacts with the United States in the space sector, including with SpaceX founder Elon Musk, as he promoted the country's Rassvet satellite broadband project as a "Russian equivalent" of Starlink. He described the effort as Russia's "first steps" in the field.

Putin framed the cooperation around orbital coordination, saying it was important for operators not to interfere with one another in space. "We work closely with our American partners, including Mr. Musk, because in orbit it is very important not to interfere with one another and to maintain a certain level of discipline and order," he said.

Putin called Musk a genius and noted that SpaceX had placed thousands of Starlink satellites into orbit. His remarks positioned Rassvet, a low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband communications system, as Russia's domestic answer to that capability, while acknowledging the project remains at an early stage.

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, known as HUR, identified the developers and manufacturers behind the Rassvet project. Russia launched the first 16 satellites in the system into orbit in March. In late May, the satellites were reported to be undergoing testing, with no signs of military use detected at that time.

Russia launched a second batch of operational satellites on July 19. Independent tracking databases show another 16 satellites were sent into orbit in that launch. To provide the 24-hour coverage Moscow announced, the constellation would need more than 250 satellites.

Putin's comments present Rassvet as the beginning of a Russian low-Earth-orbit broadband capability modeled on Starlink, and he characterized the relationship with American space operators, including Musk, as one of ongoing coordination in orbit.

The scale required for Rassvet's stated goal remains far ahead of the 32 satellites launched across the two batches so far. Reaching the announced 24-hour coverage would require Russia to expand the constellation well beyond its current size.