CERES-1 Soars: China's First Commercial Rocket Launch of 2025
In a significant milestone for China's burgeoning commercial space industry, Beijing-based rocket maker Galactic Energy successfully launched its CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket on Monday, marking the first commercial rocket launch in China for 2025. The rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:11 p.m. on January 20, embarking on a mission aptly dubbed \"On Your Shoulders.\"
The CERES-1 Y16 rocket carried five satellites into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, including the Yunyao-1 37~40 satellites and the JTX A-05 satellite. This launch signifies the 16th mission for the CERES-1 rocket series, which has now successfully delivered 63 satellites into their designated orbits. Notably, the Y16 is the first rocket manufactured and assembled in Galactic Energy's new-generation research and development and production base located in Ziyang, Sichuan Province.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads. These advanced instruments enable the satellites to acquire crucial data on atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. Such data have broad applications in meteorological observation and can support the verification of demonstration scenarios for satellite internet constellation systems in industries like mining.
The JTX A-05 satellite, on the other hand, is equipped with a hyperspectral camera payload designed to capture high-resolution remote sensing images. These images can be applied across multiple fields, including environmental monitoring, industrial emissions detection, gas leakage identification, agricultural surveillance, mineral exploration, forest management, and urban planning, contributing valuable insights for various sectors.
Meanwhile, Galactic Energy is making significant strides in rocket development. In Beijing, the company is advancing 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 expected to conduct four launches in 2025, with its maiden flight targeted for June.
Additionally, the company's reusable rocket, the Pallas-1, has completed the development of most key technologies. Liu Baiqi, the founder and CEO of Galactic Energy, revealed at Airshow China 2024 that the Pallas-1 is expected to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year. This development marks a significant step toward reusable launch vehicles in China's commercial space sector.
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CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
