Beijing, January 20 — Beijing-based rocket manufacturer Galactic Energy successfully launched its CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket on Monday evening, marking China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025. The mission, aptly named \"On Your Shoulders,\" lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:11 p.m., delivering five satellites into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
The CERES-1 Y16 rocket carried the Yunyao-1 satellites 37 to 40 and the JTX A-05 satellite, illustrating Galactic Energy's commitment to advancing China's commercial space industry. This launch represents the 16th mission for the CERES-1 rocket series, which has now successfully sent 63 satellites into their designated orbits.
Notably, the CERES-1 Y16 is the first rocket to be manufactured and assembled at Galactic Energy's new research and development and production base in Ziyang, Sichuan Province. The state-of-the-art facility underscores the company's dedication to innovation and expanding China's presence in space exploration.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads. These advanced instruments enable the satellites to collect critical data on atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. Such data is vital for meteorological observations and has promising applications in satellite internet constellation systems for industries like mining.
The JTX A-05 satellite, also aboard the CERES-1 Y16, features a hyperspectral camera payload designed to capture high-resolution remote sensing images. This technology has wide-ranging applications across various sectors, including environmental monitoring, industrial emissions detection, gas leakage identification, agricultural surveillance, mineral exploration, forest management, and urban planning.
As Galactic Energy looks to the future, the company is actively developing the CERES-2, a solid carrier rocket with a payload capacity of 1.6 tonnes. According to Meng Xianbo, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Galactic Energy, the CERES-2 is slated to conduct four launches in 2025, with its maiden flight targeted for June.
In addition to the CERES-2, the company's reusable rocket, the Pallas-1, has made significant strides. Having completed the development of most key technologies, the Pallas-1 is expected to debut in its maiden flight in the first half of this year, according to founder and CEO Liu Baiqi.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
