— The 1440 Office has been talked about many times, I will say it again: there is nothing super secret here – the structure that deals with this group of satellites in low orbit is in no way inferior to Starlink, and perhaps even surpasses it in some respects – said Putin, quoted by the Interfax agency.
He added that the satellite system being created will be able to control heavy drones via space communication channels. According to Putin, the first satellites capable of performing such tasks appeared already in 2023, and in 2024-2025 the project was further developed. — We have an almost private structure that operates successfully, and we are expanding this group of satellites in low orbit, he emphasized. At the same time, Putin admitted that the deadlines for full implementation of the system remain a key issue.
The project is already facing technical difficulties. As reported by the specialist website RussianSpaceWeb, citing orbital monitoring data, one of the 16 satellites launched on March 23 as part of the “Rassvet” project failed almost immediately after launch: its engine did not start, the satellite began to fall and on June 6 it burned up in the atmosphere over the North Atlantic.
