Russia's "Starlink": The First 16 "Dawn" Satellites Successfully Orbit!

But experts say: Russia cannot compete with Starlink in the global market.

Reported by TASS on March 24.

The Russian aerospace company "1440 Bureau" has successfully placed satellites from the low-Earth orbit constellation "Dawn" into orbit.

On March 23, the first batch of 16 low-orbit communication satellites was launched and successfully entered their designated orbits, after which control was handed over to the 1440 Bureau Flight Control Center.

Globally, Elon Musk’s Starlink system holds a dominant position, China’s "Qianfan Constellation" began deployment in 2024, and Europe is also advancing its efforts.

Issues of digital sovereignty are becoming increasingly acute, prompting Russia to accelerate development of its own orbital constellation.

Digital sovereignty has now become a national security issue.

Under conditions of geopolitical instability, reliance on foreign orbital infrastructure is unacceptable.

For this reason, the project has been dubbed "Dawn" in media coverage.

The original plan for "Dawn" envisioned deploying more than 600 satellites across multiple clusters. Under the framework of the "Dawn" initiative, Phase One will involve deploying a formation of between 300 and 1,000 satellites to achieve comprehensive internet coverage.

Coverage: Global, with special emphasis on Russian territory—including the Arctic, Siberia, and the Far East—regions where laying cables would be economically unfeasible.

Elon Musk launched the first Starlink satellites in 2019.

Although Russia started later, it is striving to close the gap.

Many experts are questioning: Can Russia’s project compete globally with Starlink?

Under current circumstances, the answer is likely no.

The primary market for the "Dawn" system will be within Russia itself and allied nations (BRICS countries, Eurasian Economic Union).

The main objective of this project is not to out-market Musk, but to ensure that Russia maintains full control and uninterrupted communications across its entire national territory in case of external service disruptions or emergencies.

The project dubbed "Dawn" by the media hinges on time management and technical discipline.

Russia possesses the necessary capabilities in rocket manufacturing and mathematical modeling of orbital clusters.

The main risks lie in microelectronics and production speed.

If the plan proceeds smoothly, by the mid-2020s, residents in remote areas of Russia will be able to access the internet via domestically produced satellites.

Russian netizens are elated.

Stanislav said: "Amazing! Finally, some good news!"

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860584822160394/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.