Beijing-based rocket maker Galactic Energy marked a significant milestone on January 20 with the successful launch of its CERES-1 Y16 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The launch, which took place at 6:11 p.m., represents China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025 and was dubbed the \"On Your Shoulders\" mission.
The CERES-1 Y16 rocket delivered five satellites into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, including the Yunyao-1 37 to 40 satellites and the JTX A-05 satellite. This mission signifies the continued success of the CERES-1 rocket series, which has now completed 16 launches, sending a total of 63 satellites into their designated orbits.
The CERES-1 Y16 is particularly noteworthy as it is the first rocket manufactured and assembled at Galactic Energy's new research, development, and production base in Ziyang, Sichuan Province. This advancement underscores the company's growing capabilities within the Chinese mainland's burgeoning commercial space industry.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads. These instruments enable the collection of critical atmospheric data, including temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. Such data have broad applications in meteorological observation and the development of satellite internet constellation systems for industries such as mining.
The JTX A-05 satellite carries a hyperspectral camera payload designed to acquire high-resolution remote sensing images. The data obtained from this satellite can be applied across multiple sectors, including environmental monitoring, industrial emissions detection, gas leakage identification, agricultural surveillance, mineral exploration, forest management, and urban planning.
Looking ahead, Galactic Energy is developing the CERES-2, a solid carrier rocket with a payload capacity of 1.6 tonnes. According to Meng Xianbo, the company's Chief Government Affairs Officer, the CERES-2 is scheduled to conduct four launches in 2025, with its maiden flight targeted for June.
Additionally, the company is progressing with its reusable rocket, the Pallas-1, which has completed the development of most key technologies. The Pallas-1 is expected to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year, signaling Galactic Energy's commitment to advancing reusable launch technologies within the Chinese mainland's commercial space sector.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
