Russia's Bureau 1440 Launches 16 Satellites to Rival SpaceX
Russian space company puts 16 broadband internet satellites into low-Earth orbit in bid to compete with SpaceX.
Russia just entered the broadband-from-space race. Bureau 1440, a Russian space company, launched 16 broadband internet satellites in what it calls an early operational step toward building a low-Earth orbit network.
The goal? Rival SpaceX. Bureau 1440 is building out a LEO constellation designed to deliver internet connectivity, putting it on a direct collision course with Elon Musk's orbital empire.
Sixteen satellites is a modest start — SpaceX has thousands already circling the planet. But it's a meaningful milestone for Bureau 1440, moving from development into actual hardware in orbit.
The launch signals Russia's intent to compete in the increasingly crowded commercial satellite internet market rather than cede the territory entirely to Western companies. Whether Bureau 1440 can scale fast enough to matter remains the big question.