Russia's Rassvet constellation orbit failure
The gist
Russia's Rassvet-3 No. 17 satellite burned up in Earth's atmosphere on Oct 30 after failing to reach its intended orbit.
It is the second loss for Russia's Starlink rival, which still lags its planned altitude.
How it unfolded
- Mar 23, 2026The first batch of Rassvet satellites launched, including Object 4 (NORAD 68363).
- Jun 6, 2026Rassvet-3 No. 4 reentered the atmosphere after similar orbit difficulties, becoming the first satellite lost from the constellation.
- Jul 19, 2026A second group of 16 Rassvet-3 satellites launched on a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, including Rassvet-3 No. 17 (NORAD 100083).