Russia building Starlink rival at ‘rapid pace,’ says Roscosmos chief

Russia’s new space agency chief Dmitry Bakanov said Moscow is pressing ahead with plans to build a low-Earth orbit satellite constellation to rival Starlink, the internet service run by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

“Several test vehicles in orbit have already been inspected and the production ones have been modified accordingly,” Bakanov told Russian television host Vladimir Solovyov. “We are also moving at a rapid pace in this direction.”

Bureau 1440, a Russian aerospace company, is spearheading the development of the broadband satellite system, he said. Bakanov, 39, acknowledged that Roscosmos had to shed outdated practices and attract more young talent to compete effectively.

Starlink currently operates the world’s largest satellite internet constellation with more than 8,000 satellites, providing services in remote regions and conflict zones. It has been heavily used by Ukrainian forces during the war with Russia.

Bakanov admitted that Russia had underestimated Musk in the past. He recalled a 2002 episode when Russian officials dismissed Musk’s bid to buy an intercontinental missile for commercial launches — a rejection that spurred Musk to undercut Russia’s dominance in space transport.

The Soviet Union led the early space race, launching the first satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957 and putting Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961. But Russia’s space ambitions have since faltered, hit by funding shortages, corruption, and setbacks such as the Luna-25 crash during a moon landing attempt in 2023.

Bakanov, previously head of satellite operator Gonets, said the new initiative would mark a reset for Roscosmos.

“We must learn from our mistakes,” he said, adding that Russia aimed to reclaim its position as a leader in global space technology.

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