Russia Launches 16 Satellites to Challenge Starlink

MOSCOW, March 24 - Russia launched 16 low-orbit satellites in a bid to create a global broadband network rivaling Elon Musk’s Starlink.

Bureau 1440, the Russian aerospace firm behind the project, described the launch as transitioning from experiment to operational service.

Starlink, operational since 2019, now boasts over 10,000 satellites in orbit. Russia lags far behind but aims to close the gap amid renewed space ambitions.

The Soviet Union once led the space race, launching Sputnik 1 in 1957 and sending Yuri Gagarin into orbit in 1961. After the USSR's collapse in 1991, Russia’s space program suffered from underfunding, corruption, and leadership issues.

In 2002, Russian officials dismissed Elon Musk as uncredible - a moment some say spurred his mission to disrupt global satellite launch costs.