Russia's plans to put more than two thousand satellites into space in different orbits by 2036 have been criticized in the American magazine Defense News, which focuses on technology and military equipment.
The publication notes that the country currently produces about 15 satellites per year, despite existing capacity for annual production of about 40 satellites. At the same time, the head of Roscosmos, Yury Borisov, says that Russia should produce from 200 to 400 satellites annually, using state and private funds, in order to create satellite constellations and increase its presence in space.
His goals are characterized as "unrealistic" for several reasons. These are:
- the need for additional funding from the budget, which is currently difficult. The Russian government approved only 95 billion rubles for 162 satellites of the "Sphere" group, instead of the requested 180 billion rubles;
- lack of access, due to sanctions, to the western electronics components necessary for satellite construction. It is claimed that Russia can only replace some of them through import substitution, or find some components through friendly countries, but for a few satellites, not for hundreds.
The third reason why Russia may not be able to cope with the goals of satellite construction is the need, in the new geopolitical conditions, to adjust priorities in favor of satellites that will perform both military and civilian services, or only towards military satellites.
Among its [the state's] priorities are the Razdan optical reconnaissance satellite, the radar marine reconnaissance satellite for the Pion-NKS group, two radar satellites Obzor-R and Kondor, as well as several GLONASS communication satellites.
The publication even suggests, citing its sources among former Roscosmos employees, that not only these satellites, but all Russian satellites planned for production, are likely to be used in the interests of the Ministry of Defense for reconnaissance, surveillance, navigation and communications.
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