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 Bakanov, 39, acknowledged that Roscosmos had to shed outdated practices and attract more young talent to compete effectively.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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Senior representatives from the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye have held talks in Miami to assess progress on the Gaza ceasefire and lay the groundwo...
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U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Sunday that the U.S. intelligence community does not believe Russia has the capability to...
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Senior representatives from the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye have held talks in Miami to assess progress on the Gaza ceasefire and lay the groundwork for its next phase, according to a statement issued by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Swedish customs officials have boarded a Russian freighter anchored in Swedish waters after confirming that the vessel and its owners are subject to European Union and U.S. sanctions.
Senior officials and media leaders from Turkic states have met in Ankara to strengthen cooperation against disinformation and deepen coordination in the information sphere.
Japan and five Central Asian nations have unveiled a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening critical minerals supply chains and fostering broader regional cooperation, following their first summit in Tokyo on Saturday.
The death toll from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has risen to 161, after forensic analysis confirmed one more victim among the charred remains at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, more than three weeks after the blaze began, authorities said on Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Donald Trump on 29 December in Florida, where he is expected to present a package of military options regarding Iran, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported on Saturday.
The United States seized a second merchant vessel carrying oil off the coast of Venezuela in international waters on Saturday, as part of Washington’s sanctions enforcement campaign, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
US intelligence assessments indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to seek full control of Ukraine and to expand Russia’s influence in parts of Europe formerly under Soviet rule, contradicting repeated claims that Moscow poses no threat to the continent.
A major power outage swept across San Francisco on Saturday, leaving up to 130,000 customers without electricity, disrupting traffic and forcing some businesses to close temporarily, officials said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the arrival of the first rail shipment of Azerbaijani petrol on Friday, calling the delivery — the first such transfer between the two countries in decades — a sign that “peace has now become a reality”.
AnewZ has launched a new investigations unit with the premiere of The Oligarch’s Design, a long-form documentary marking the debut of AnewZ Investigations, its cross-border reporting initiative.
Iran’s renewed call for international burden sharing in hosting Afghan refugees has revived a familiar narrative - that refugees are an economic strain rather than a source of long-term value. Analysts say this framing overlooks decades of contribution by Afghan refugees across the region.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s official visit to Tokyo represents more than a strengthening of bilateral relations; it is a strategic step that broadens the economic and diplomatic horizons of the region.
The United States has suspended the Diversity Visa Lottery programme, commonly known as the Green Card lottery, after a deadly shooting at Brown University.
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