Galactic Energy, a Beijing-based rocket maker, has propelled China's commercial space industry into a new era with the successful launch of its CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket. Marking China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025, the CERES-1 blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:11 p.m. on January 20 on a mission aptly dubbed \"On Your Shoulders.\"
Delivering five satellites, including the Yunyao-1 37~40 and the JTX A-05, into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, the launch signifies a significant milestone for Galactic Energy. The company's CERES-1 rocket series has now completed 16 launches, sending 63 satellites into preset orbits. Notably, the CERES-1 Y16 is the first rocket manufactured and assembled at the company's new-generation research and development production base 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 acquisition of vital atmospheric data, including temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. Such data have broad applications in meteorological observation and hold potential for the mining industry through satellite internet constellation systems.
Equipped with a hyperspectral camera payload, the JTX A-05 satellite will acquire high-resolution remote sensing images. These images are critical for 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 capability 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 and is expected to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year. Founder and CEO Liu Baiqi shared these updates at Airshow China 2024, signaling Galactic Energy's ambitious plans to bolster China's presence in the global space industry.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
