Under the clear evening skies of northwest China, the CERES-1 Y16 rocket pierced through the atmosphere, marking a significant milestone as China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025. Beijing-based rocket maker Galactic Energy orchestrated this historic event on Monday, showcasing China's growing prowess in the commercial space sector.
The CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 6:11 p.m. on January 20, embarking on a mission aptly named \"On Your Shoulders.\" It successfully delivered five satellites—including Yunyao-1 37~40 and JTX A-05—into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
To date, the CERES-1 rocket series has completed 16 launches, sending 63 satellites into their designated orbits. Notably, 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.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads, enabling the acquisition of atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density data. These satellites hold broad applications in meteorological observation and the verification of satellite internet constellation systems for industries such as mining.
The JTX A-05 satellite carries a hyperspectral camera payload designed to acquire remote sensing images. This technology can be applied across multiple fields, including environmental monitoring, industrial emissions detection, gas leakage identification, agricultural surveillance, mineral exploration, forest management, and urban planning.
Meanwhile, Galactic Energy is advancing its development of 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 most key technologies and is anticipated to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year, as stated by founder and CEO Liu Baiqi.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
