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Russian space project accelerates the race for satellite internet and expands military and technological presence in strategic orbits, while Moscow bets on private launches to compete with Western and Chinese companies in the global market for small satellites, orbital communication, and terrestrial monitoring.
Russia intends to start the construction of the Primorsky Cosmodrome in 2026, touted as the country’s first private spaceport aimed at ultralight rockets, in a strategy that seeks to expand the Russian presence in the global market for small satellites and orbital communications.
Responsible for the project, Space Energy plans to install the base in the Russian Far East, in an area near the Pacific Ocean considered strategic for launches into polar and sun-synchronous orbits, primarily used in terrestrial monitoring and climate observation missions.
According to the company, the structure is expected to reach the capacity to carry out up to 50 annual launches when it becomes operational, serving light and ultralight rockets intended for smaller payloads used in technological tests, scientific missions, and communication systems.
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Planned to operate the Orbita rocket, the new base will initially focus on sending small equipment to low Earth orbit, with an estimated capacity of up to 250 kilograms in conventional orbital missions.
Additionally, the vehicle is also designed to transport up to 150 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbits, considered strategic as they allow continuous observation of the Earth’s surface at similar solar times during each orbital pass.
Before the orbital debut of the Orbita, Space Energy plans to launch the Kamchatka-1, a solid-fuel suborbital rocket developed for technical tests and the collection of scientific and meteorological information in experimental flights.
If the schedule released by the company is maintained, the first flight of the Kamchatka-1 is expected to occur at the end of 2026, serving as a preparatory step for the future orbital operation of the private infrastructure in Primorsky.
Russia tries to regain space in the space market
For decades, the Russian space program remained practically concentrated in state-controlled structures, a direct reflection of the Soviet heritage that led the country to launch Sputnik, the first artificial satellite in history, in 1957, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
In recent years, however, Moscow has lost relative space in the global space market due to technological sanctions, limitations on importing foreign components, and the high financial costs caused by the war in Ukraine.
Within this context, the creation of a private base appears as an attempt to diversify the Russian space infrastructure and reduce operational dependence on traditional cosmodromes, including Baikonur, Vostochny, and Plesetsk, historically linked to the Russian government.
Besides the economic aspect, the choice of the Primorsky region also has strategic relevance for allowing more favorable trajectories over the Pacific Ocean, with suitable maritime areas for stage fall and easy access to Earth observation orbits.
Rassvet Project expands competition with Starlink
While expanding its launch infrastructure, Moscow is also accelerating the Rassvet project, a Russian satellite internet network developed by Bureau 1440 and frequently presented as a national alternative to Starlink, controlled by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
On March 23, 2026, Russia placed the first 16 operational satellites of the program into orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, initiating a stage considered essential for the future commercial expansion of the constellation.
According to the goals released by the government and the companies involved, the system is expected to start commercial operations with more than 250 satellites and reach a network of over 900 units by 2035, expanding Russian orbital coverage.
The proposal involves providing low-orbit broadband to remote regions of Russian territory, as well as offering applications aimed at civil services, strategic communications, and operations related to government infrastructure.
At the same time, the project is also treated internally as an instrument of digital sovereignty amid the growing technological rivalry between Russia, the United States, and other Western powers dominating the private space sector.
Although Starlink remains far ahead in scale, with thousands of satellites already active in low orbit, the Russian advancement reinforces the growing importance of space connectivity in global commercial, technological, and geopolitical disputes.
Cooperation between Russia and Iran advances in the orbital sector
Parallel to internal projects, Russia has intensified in recent years the launches of foreign satellites from its territory, expanding space cooperation with countries considered strategic within its foreign policy.
In July 2025, a Soyuz rocket placed the Iranian satellite Nahid-2 into orbit, aimed at communications and launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East.
Months later, in December 2025, another Russian mission sent the Iranian satellites Paya, Kowsar, and Zafar-2 into space, officially described by Iranian authorities as Earth observation equipment and communication systems.
Applications related to agriculture, environmental monitoring, and natural resource management appear among the main declared objectives for these devices, although such technologies may also have strategic applications in different governmental areas.
Before that, in November 2024, Russia had already placed the Kowsar and Hodhod satellites in orbit, linked to the Iranian private sector and developed to expand the country’s observation and communication capabilities.
The space cooperation accompanies the political rapprochement between Moscow and Tehran, consolidated after the signing of a strategic partnership treaty between the two governments in January 2025.
Primorsky Cosmodrome targets small satellite market
The Primorsky Cosmodrome is expected to mainly serve the small satellite market, a segment that has gained strength in recent years with the expansion of commercial services related to communication, earth observation, and climate data collection.
Private companies, universities, governments, and scientific institutions have started investing in smaller and more frequent missions, driven by the miniaturization of components and the gradual reduction of launch costs into low orbit.
In this scenario, Russia is trying to gain ground in an area currently dominated by Western and Chinese companies, such as SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and LandSpace, which already operate more flexible launch systems for small payloads.
Despite the progress announced by Space Energy, the Primorsky project still depends on stages related to technical execution, obtaining financing, and regulatory approval for commercial operations to be effectively initiated.
So far, the disclosed information points to the start of construction and possible commissioning of a platform in 2026, while the orbital debut of the Orbita rocket is officially treated as a target set for 2027.
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