Reuters
Russia is deploying Rassvet, its Starlink-style satellite communications network, faster than previously planned, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence. The system is projected to reach nearly 300 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035, signaling Moscow’s effort to expand sovereign space-based connectivity and potentially strengthen communications resilience.
Space Defense & Militarization
Latest source-backed stories
Russia is deploying Rassvet, its Starlink-style satellite communications network, faster than previously planned, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence. The system is projected to reach nearly 300 satellites by 2027 and 924 by 2035, signaling Moscow’s effort to expand sovereign space-based connectivity and potentially strengthen communications resilience.
High activity
EnduroSat is partnering with the Bulgarian government to redevelop Dobroslavtsi, a former military airbase, into a space and defense development center. The project is positioned as a new hub for space-sector activity in Europe, linking Bulgaria’s former military infrastructure with emerging commercial space capabilities.
The Senate confirmed Erich Hernandez-Baquero to oversee U.S. military space acquisition and Roger Mason to lead the National Reconnaissance Office. The appointments place industry veterans atop two critical organizations responsible for acquiring military space systems and operating the nation’s spy satellite enterprise.
Elon Musk could permit Ukraine to use Starlink connectivity to help locate Russian missile launchers, potentially expanding the system’s role in the conflict beyond communications. The reported possibility underscores the operational and geopolitical significance of privately provided satellite infrastructure in wartime.
High activity
The European Commission has agreed with an industrial consortium to expand and accelerate IRIS², its sovereign secure-connectivity constellation, with first launches targeted for 2029. Indra’s Hispasat will lead a services contract worth more than €1.6 billion, while total program investment is expected to exceed $18 billion.
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Katie Britt have introduced bipartisan legislation directing the Pentagon to strengthen U.S. Space Force training for a potential conflict with China. The bill signals congressional focus on aligning space-force readiness and education with the demands of strategic competition.
The National Reconnaissance Office awarded contracts to Capella Space, Iceye U.S. and Umbra to expand the U.S. government’s access to commercial synthetic aperture radar data. The awards reinforce the role of private satellite operators in supplying persistent, all-weather imagery for national-security missions.
Create a free account to see more recent Space Defense & Militarization stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
