CERES-1 Soars: China’s First Commercial Rocket Launch of 2025 Takes Flight

Beijing, January 20, 2025—In a significant milestone for China's commercial space industry, Beijing-based rocket maker Galactic Energy successfully launched the CERES-1 Y16 carrier rocket on Monday evening. The launch, marking China's first commercial rocket mission of 2025, took place at 6:11 p.m. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

Dubbed the \"On Your Shoulders\" mission, the CERES-1 Y16 rocket delivered five satellites into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. Among the payload were the Yunyao-1 37~40 satellites and the JTX A-05 satellite. This launch signifies the 16th mission of the CERES-1 rocket series, cumulatively sending 63 satellites into their designated orbits.

Notably, the CERES-1 Y16 is the first rocket manufactured and assembled at Galactic Energy's new-generation research and development and production base in Ziyang, Sichuan Province. This facility represents a significant step forward in the company's manufacturing capabilities and the broader commercialization of China's space endeavors.

The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads. These advanced instruments will collect critical atmospheric data, including temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density, offering valuable insights for meteorological observation and satellite internet constellation systems for industries such as mining.

The JTX A-05 satellite carries a hyperspectral camera payload designed to acquire high-resolution remote sensing images. Its applications span environmental monitoring, industrial emissions detection, gas leakage identification, agricultural surveillance, mineral exploration, forest management, and urban planning, contributing to various sectors' technological advancement.

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 slated for its maiden flight in June 2025 and is expected to conduct four launches within the year.

Meanwhile, the company's reusable rocket, the Pallas-1, has achieved development milestones in key technologies. Liu Baiqi, the founder and CEO of Galactic Energy, shared with CGTN at Airshow China 2024 that the Pallas-1 is anticipated to have its maiden flight in the first half of this year.

Galactic Energy's advancements highlight China's rapidly growing commercial space sector and its ambition to become a major player in global space exploration and satellite deployment.

CGTN's Zhao Chenchen and Zhang Haoyudi contributed to this story.

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