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Putin Praises Elon Musk at Russia-Africa Summit

By Drooid · Oct 31, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

President Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk as a genius at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on Oct. 28, 2026.
Russia’s Rassvet system operates 31 satellites, with 26 currently functional.
Putin said Russia is in close contact with Musk to prevent orbital interference between the constellations.
Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev noted Rassvet satellites orbit at roughly 509 km altitude.

History

GLONASS began in the Soviet Union in 1976, with the first launch on 12 October 1982 and a full 24-satellite constellation achieved by December 1995, restoring global coverage in 2011. Russia’s heavy investment, consuming a third of Roscosmos’s 2010 budget, set a precedent for state-driven orbital security, which today underpins Putin’s praise of Elon Musk and the 31-satellite Rassvet expansion.

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GLONASS began in the Soviet Union in 1976, with the first launch on 12 October 1982 and a full 24-satellite constellation achieved by December 1995, restoring global coverage in 2011. Russia’s heavy investment, consuming a third of Roscosmos’s 2010 budget, set a precedent for state-driven orbital security, which today underpins Putin’s praise of Elon Musk and the 31-satellite Rassvet expansion.

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