Overview
- Roscosmos head Bakanov announced the initiative on Jan. 16 at a Moscow meeting focused on unmanned technology.
- He said mass production of satellites named Zolky will start this year.
- Bakanov told Russia’s Channel One that more than 300 Zolky satellites are slated to be in orbit by 2027.
- The system is intended to mirror SpaceX’s low-Earth-orbit broadband approach to secure service in areas not reached by ground networks.
- Wire-service reporting notes that technical specifications, launch plans, and the program’s detailed scope beyond the 2027 target have not been disclosed.