Putin boasts of Russia's Starlink alternative, claims contact with Musk
Russian President Vladimir Putin (photo: Getty Images)
Russia maintains close contacts with the United States in the space sector, including with SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
The Kremlin chief noted that Rassvet was a "Russian equivalent" of Starlink, adding that these were Russia's "first steps" in this field.
"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 also called Musk a genius, noting that SpaceX had put thousands of Starlink satellites into orbit.
Earlier, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR) identified the developers and manufacturers behind Russia's Rassvet project, a low-Earth-orbit satellite broadband communications system.
Notably, the first 16 satellites in the system were launched into orbit by Russia in March. In late May, reports said the satellites were undergoing testing, and no signs of military use had been detected at that time.
The media also reported that Russia launched a second batch of operational satellites on July 19. Independent tracking databases show that another 16 satellites were sent into orbit.
However, to provide the 24-hour coverage Moscow announced, the constellation would need more than 250 satellites.
