In a significant milestone for China's burgeoning commercial space industry, Beijing-based rocket manufacturer Galactic Energy successfully launched the CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket on January 20, marking the nation's first commercial rocket launch of 2025.
The CERES-1 Y16 rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:11 p.m., embarking on a mission aptly named \"On Your Shoulders.\" The 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 successful launch signifies the 16th mission of the CERES-1 rocket series, which has so far placed 63 satellites into their designated orbits. Notably, the CERES-1 Y16 is the first rocket to be manufactured and assembled at Galactic Energy's new research and development and production base in Ziyang, Sichuan Province, highlighting the company's expanding capabilities.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads, enabling them to collect valuable data on atmospheric temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. These capabilities have broad applications in meteorological observation and hold significant potential for industries such as mining, particularly in the verification of satellite internet constellation systems.
The JTX A-05 satellite, featuring a hyperspectral camera payload, is designed to acquire high-resolution remote sensing images. This technology can be applied across various 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 rocket in Beijing. The CERES-2 is a solid carrier rocket with a payload capacity of 1.6 tonnes and is expected to conduct four launches in 2025, with its maiden flight targeted for June, according to Meng Xianbo, the company's Chief Government Affairs Officer. 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 the Airshow China 2024.
Galactic Energy's advancements reflect China's growing presence in the global commercial space sector, offering new opportunities for international collaboration and investment in cutting-edge space technologies.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
