Beijing-based rocket maker Galactic Energy's launch of the CERES-1 rocket on Monday has marked the first commercial rocket launch in the Chinese mainland for 2025.
A CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:11 p.m. on January 20 on a mission dubbed \"On Your Shoulders.\" It delivered five satellites, including the Yunyao-1 37~40 and the JTX A-05 satellites, into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
So far, the CERES-1 rocket series has completed 16 launches, sending 63 satellites into their pre-set orbits. The CERES-1 Y16 is the first rocket manufactured and assembled in the company's new-generation research and development and production base in Ziyang, Sichuan Province.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads, which enable data acquisition of atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. The satellites have broad application prospects in meteorological observation and the verification of demonstration scenarios for satellite internet constellation systems for the mining industry, among others.
The JTX A-05 satellite is equipped with a hyperspectral camera payload to acquire remote sensing images, which can be applied in multiple fields such as environmental monitoring, industrial emissions detection, gas leakage identification, agricultural surveillance, mineral exploration, forest management, and urban planning.
Meanwhile, in Beijing, the company 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. The company's reusable rocket, the Pallas-1, has already completed the development of most key technologies and is expected to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year, CGTN learned from the founder and CEO, Liu Baiqi, at Airshow China 2024.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
