Russian "Starlink" Launch Pushed to 2026 Amid Production Shortfalls

In a report released on Friday, January 23, 2026, the Russian aerospace company Bureau 1440 announced the postponement of its initial deployment of 16 high-speed internet satellites. Originally scheduled for late 2025, the launch of the first batch for the Rassvet Low Earth Orbit constellation has been rescheduled for 2026. The delay is attributed to production failures and incomplete assembly of the required spacecraft. This contradicts previous government statements regarding the readiness of the fleet. Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Bakanov stated in September 2025 that deployment of the first 300 satellites would begin by the end of that year. Industry sources now indicate that the production line has failed to meet the necessary volume. Deputy Minister of Digital Development Dmitry Ugnivenko had claimed as recently as December 2025 that all 16 initial satellites were complete. Bureau 1440 currently has only six experimental satellites in orbit from the Rassvet-1 and Rassvet-2 missions. The project is a central pillar of Russia's national Data Economy program. The federal budget is allocating 102.8 billion rubles, or $1.36 billion, toward its implementation. Bureau 1440 is expected to contribute an additional 329 billion rubles, or $4.36 billion, in private investment through 2030. Bureau 1440's revised roadmap now targets 156 launches in 2026, followed by 292 in 2027. Reaching these milestones will require a significant stabilization of the company's satellite assembly process. The broader strategic goal remains the deployment of a 900-satellite constellation by 2035, with commercial operations involving the first 250 units projected to start in 2027.