Russia's Starlink rival is already struggling as satellites fail to reach their planned orbits
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In a nutshell: Russia's planned satellite internet network is running into early trouble. None of the 16 Rassvet satellites launched in June have reached their intended operating altitude, according to the Institute for the Study of War, which cited data from satellite-tracking service N2YO.
The satellites were expected to operate at 870 kilometers (540 miles) above Earth. Instead, many are orbiting between 300 and 400 kilometers (186 and 249 miles), while some are already losing altitude. Two are now re-entering the atmosphere.
The problems add to concerns about Rassvet, a low-Earth-orbit network being developed by Bureau 1440 as Russia's domestic alternative to SpaceX's Starlink.
A lower orbit can shorten a satellite's working life. Atmospheric drag is stronger closer to Earth, forcing satellites to use more fuel to maintain their position. If the spacecraft...
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