Russia launches first satellite for broadband internet

Russia on Saturday launched the first satellite designed to provide broadband internet, a national state-owned analog of StarLink and One Web companies.

As part of the first mission of 2022, the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket, with new-generation of Skif-D satellite and three Gonets-M satellites were launched from Vostochny cosmodrome in the far east of Russia.

The Skif-D satellite is designed to test new technical solutions for high-speed Internet access. It is launched into a medium circular orbit at an altitude of 8,070 km. According to Russia's Roscosmos space agency, this is the first launch of a carrier rocket of the Soyuz-2 family entirely on a new environmentally friendly fuel, naphthyl.