---
title: "Burned down in three months: Russia loses second satellite of the 'Rassvet' low-orbit network"
description: "On October 30, Russia lost the second serial satellite of the 'Rassvet' low-orbit network. The Rassvet-3 No. 17 spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere no more than three months after launch."
date: 2026-11-01T01:40:22.898Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russia-loses-second-rassvet-satellite
tags: [rassvet, satellite-internet, russia, space, bureau-1440, starlink]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Burned down in three months: Russia loses second satellite of the 'Rassvet' low-orbit network

![Russian low-orbit communication satellite Rassvet in outer space above Earth](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/01/rassvet-sputnik-sgorel-vo-vtoroy-raz/rassvet-sputnik-sgorel-vo-vtoroy-raz-1.webp)

## Key Points

- On October 30, the Rassvet-3 No. 17 satellite deorbited and burned up in the atmosphere, having spent no more than three months in space.
- This is the second lost serial spacecraft of the 'Rassvet' constellation; the first (Rassvet-3 No. 4) burned up on June 6.
- According to Defense Express, the spacecraft likely failed to activate its propulsion system for orbit correction.
- In 2026, 32 system satellites were launched; commercial operation is announced for 2027.

On October 30, Russia lost another spacecraft of its 'Rassvet' low-orbit satellite internet system. The satellite deorbited and burned up in the dense layers of the Earth's atmosphere after spending no more than three months in space following its launch. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing data from the American Aerospace Corporation and the Defense Express publication.

### What happened to the spacecraft

The lost spacecraft — Rassvet-3 No. 17 — was launched on July 19, 2026, from the Plesetsk cosmodrome as part of the second batch of serial satellites. According to Defense Express, it likely failed to activate its propulsion system, which is necessary for orbit correction. Due to the resistance of the residual atmosphere, the spacecraft gradually lost altitude until it burned up upon entering the dense layers of the Earth's atmosphere.

### Second case within a year

This is already the second serial satellite of the Russian 'Rassvet' constellation that Moscow has lost since launch. The first spacecraft — Rassvet-3 No. 4 — deorbited on June 6; it had been launched on March 23 as part of the first batch. Thus, two spacecraft have been withdrawn from the constellation within a few months of operation, indicating a recurring nature of the failure.

### Not all spacecraft are losing altitude

At the same time, not every satellite in the system demonstrates similar dynamics. The Rassvet-3 No. 23 spacecraft also initially began losing altitude and dropped to about 220 km, but in late October it resumed maneuvers to raise its orbit. According to the Latitudinal monitoring project, on October 29 it was at an altitude of about 296 km and continued to gain altitude.

### Project context

'Rassvet' is a Russian low-orbit satellite internet system developed by the 'Bureau 1440' company. Moscow positions it as an alternative to the American Starlink network and plans to use it for communications, including for military purposes such as drone control. In 2026, Russia conducted two launches of serial satellites: on March 23 and July 19, 16 spacecraft were launched into orbit each time, totaling 32. Previously, authorities announced plans to create a constellation of 350 satellites with the prospect of expansion to 900, and commercial operation was announced for 2027. Reminder: On September 1, it was reported that the second batch of 'Rassvet' satellites failed to climb to the required altitude.

### What this means for the project

The repeated loss of satellites indicates technical difficulties that the Russian project is facing at the stage of deploying the orbital constellation. For a system scheduled for commercial operation in 2027 and intended to be used for military tasks among others, the reliability of maintaining spacecraft in a given orbit is a critical parameter, and current incidents point to problems precisely in this area.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Сгорел после запуска: в России снова не вышло с аналогом Starlink](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/zgoriv-pislya-zapusku-rosiyi-znov-viyshlo-1793496303.html) - Primary source: Data from Aerospace Corporation, Defense Express, and Latitudinal regarding the deorbiting of Rassvet-3 No. 17 on October 30, the previous loss of Rassvet-3 No. 4 on June 6, and the dynamics of Rassvet-3 No. 23; information on the launches of March 23 and July 19, 2026, and constellation plans.

## FAQ

### When and how was the Rassvet-3 No. 17 satellite lost?

The spacecraft was launched on July 19, 2026, from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, and on October 30 it deorbited and burned up in the dense layers of the atmosphere, having spent no more than three months in space.

### Why did the satellite reportedly lose its orbit?

According to Defense Express, the spacecraft likely failed to activate its propulsion system for orbit correction, causing the resistance of the residual atmosphere to gradually reduce its altitude until it burned up upon entering the atmosphere.

### How many 'Rassvet' satellites have been lost so far?

Two serial spacecraft: Rassvet-3 No. 4 (deorbited on June 6) and Rassvet-3 No. 17 (burned up on October 30).

### What is 'Rassvet' and what is its purpose?

It is a Russian low-orbit satellite internet system developed by 'Bureau 1440'; Moscow positions it as an alternative to Starlink and plans to use it for communications, including drone control.