Beijing, January 20, 2025 — Beijing-based rocket manufacturer Galactic Energy has successfully launched its CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket, marking China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025. The mission, dubbed \"On Your Shoulders,\" lifted off at 6:11 p.m. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
The CERES-1 Y16 rocket delivered 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 a milestone for Galactic Energy, as the CERES-1 Y16 is the first rocket manufactured and assembled at the company's new-generation research and development and production base in Ziyang, Sichuan Province.
Since its debut, the CERES-1 rocket series has completed 16 launches, successfully sending 63 satellites into their pre-set orbits. The latest mission underscores China's growing capabilities in the commercial space sector and highlights Galactic Energy's role as a key player in the industry.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads. These advanced instruments enable the acquisition of atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density data. Such capabilities have broad applications in meteorological observation and hold promise for satellite internet constellation systems in industries like mining.
The JTX A-05 satellite carries a hyperspectral camera payload designed to acquire high-resolution remote sensing images. The data collected will be instrumental in various fields 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 expected to conduct four launches in 2025, with its maiden flight targeted for June.
In parallel, the company's reusable rocket, the Pallas-1, has completed the development of most key technologies. Galactic Energy's founder and CEO, Liu Baiqi, revealed at the Airshow China 2024 that the Pallas-1 is expected to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
