Sovereignty, Commerce, and the Reshaping of the Global Launch Order
From Siberian Launchpads to German Startups: The New Space Race Nobody Predicted Space / Launch Vehicles & Propulsion · 27 March 2026 Special Report Global Launch Market Russia's Sfera megaconstellation moves from aspiration to hardware, while Germany's Isar Aerospace pushes for a second orbital attempt — together exposing the fracture lines of a space industry no longer dominated by a single power or logic. By Aviation Week Intelligence Network Staff Washington / Munich / Moscow · 27 March 2026 Bottom Line Up Front Russia's Roscosmos has placed the first operational satellites of the Sfera megaconstellation into orbit, translating years of policy rhetoric into hardware — but severe sanctions-driven microelectronics shortfalls, constrained launch capacity, and a scaled-back constellation plan from 640 to an uncertain 360–1,200 satellites cast serious doubt on program viability ...
