In a significant milestone for China's commercial space industry, Beijing-based rocket maker Galactic Energy successfully launched the CERES-1 Y16 rocket on January 20 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The launch, which took place at 6:11 p.m., marked the first commercial rocket launch in China for 2025 and was dubbed the \"On Your Shoulders\" mission.
The CERES-1 Y16 rocket delivered five satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 535 kilometers. Among the satellites were the Yunyao-1 37~40 satellites and the JTX A-05 satellite. This launch brings the total number of satellites sent into orbit by the CERES-1 rocket series to 63 across 16 successful missions.
Notably, the CERES-1 Y16 is the first rocket manufactured and assembled at Galactic Energy's new research and development production base in Ziyang, Sichuan Province. This advancement underscores China's growing capabilities in the private aerospace sector and highlights the rapid development of new space enterprises within the country.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads. These devices are capable of collecting atmospheric data such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. The data gathered has broad applications, including meteorological observations and supporting satellite internet constellation systems for industries like mining.
The JTX A-05 satellite carries a hyperspectral camera payload designed to acquire high-resolution remote sensing images. This technology is applicable 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. Additionally, the company's reusable rocket, the Pallas-1, has completed the development of key technologies and is anticipated to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year, as shared by founder and CEO Liu Baiqi at Airshow China 2024.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
