Beijing's private aerospace company, Galactic Energy, achieved a monumental milestone on January 20, 2025, as its CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket successfully blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:11 p.m. Dubbed the \"On Your Shoulders\" mission, this launch marks the first commercial rocket launch in China for the year 2025.
The CERES-1 Y16 rocket delivered five satellites into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. Among them were the Yunyao-1 37 to 40 satellites and the JTX A-05 satellite. This successful deployment brings the total number of satellites sent into orbit by the CERES-1 rocket series to 63 across 16 launches.
Significantly, the CERES-1 Y16 is the first rocket to be manufactured and assembled at Galactic Energy's new-generation research and development and production base in Ziyang, Sichuan Province. This advancement underscores the company's growing capabilities in China's burgeoning commercial space sector.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads. These sophisticated instruments enable the collection of vital atmospheric data, including temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. The data have broad applications in meteorological observation and play a crucial role in verifying demonstration scenarios for satellite internet constellation systems in industries such as mining.
The JTX A-05 satellite carries a hyperspectral camera payload designed to capture high-resolution remote sensing images. These images are instrumental in numerous fields, including environmental monitoring, industrial emissions detection, gas leakage identification, agricultural surveillance, mineral exploration, forest management, and urban planning.
Meanwhile, Galactic Energy is making significant strides in its development of the CERES-2 rocket, 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 slated for its maiden flight in June 2025 and is expected to conduct four launches throughout the year.
The company is also advancing its reusable rocket technology with the Pallas-1. Having completed the development of most key technologies, the Pallas-1 is anticipated to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year. Galactic Energy's founder and CEO, Liu Baiqi, highlighted these developments at Airshow China 2024, emphasizing the company's commitment to innovation in reusable rocket technology.
Galactic Energy's achievements reflect China's rapid progress in the commercial space industry, contributing to global advancements in satellite technology and space exploration. The successful launch of the CERES-1 Y16 rocket not only propels China's space capabilities forward but also opens new horizons for scientific research and commercial applications.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
