At a strategic session dedicated to the development of the Russian space industry, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin announced that in 2026, two private satellites will be launched into orbit from the Vostochny Cosmodrome for the first time. The announcement was made during a discussion on the prospects of the domestic space sector and became one of the key points of the meeting, setting a vector for further integration of private capital into state space programs.
Private segment enters orbit
Specific names of the spacecraft that will be the first private satellites launched from the Vostochny site were not disclosed during the session. As follows from Mishustin's statement, these are two units scheduled for launch this year. The absence of public identification of the spacecraft at the time of the announcement does not exclude that the details of the mission—orbital parameters, purpose, and operators—will be presented during subsequent technical briefings or as part of reporting on relevant contracts.
Commercial model and Earth observation data
In addition to the launch itself, the head of government outlined a systemic task: to expand the practice of state support for private space projects while ensuring equal conditions for all market participants. Mishustin placed particular emphasis on forming a full-fledged commercial model for providing Earth remote sensing (ERS) data. According to him, high-resolution imagery is already available on a paid basis to almost all organizations and departments, which, according to the government's assessment, creates prerequisites for attracting additional private investment into the segment.
Launch vehicle to be used
The Vostochny Cosmodrome, located in the Amur Region, has infrastructure for launching medium- and heavy-class rockets—Soyuz-2.1a, Soyuz-2.1b, Angara-A5—as well as light-class carriers Angara-1.2 and Soyuz-2.1v. For the launch of the two small-class satellites mentioned by Mishustin, the Soyuz-2.1b or another light-class vehicle is considered the most likely candidate for the role of the launch vehicle. The final choice of vehicle was not announced at the time of the statement.
Thus, Mishustin's announcement marks a transition of the Russian space market to a new stage: from predominantly state funding to a model where private operators gain direct access to launch pads and commercial data. The realization of the announced plans in 2026 will be a practical test of how effective the promised "equal competitive environment" for non-state industry participants will turn out to be.
