Beijing-based rocket manufacturer Galactic Energy has achieved a significant milestone by launching the CERES-1 Y16 rocket on Monday, marking China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025. The 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.\"
The CERES-1 Y16 successfully delivered five satellites into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. Among them 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 launches.
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 advancement underscores the company's growing capabilities in China's burgeoning commercial space sector.
The four Yunyao-1 satellites are equipped with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation detection payloads. These sophisticated instruments enable the acquisition of critical atmospheric data, including temperature, humidity, pressure, and ionospheric electron density. Such data have broad applications in meteorological observation and satellite internet constellation systems for industries like mining.
The JTX A-05 satellite carries a hyperspectral camera payload designed to capture high-resolution remote sensing images. The data obtained from this satellite can be applied in various fields, including environmental monitoring, industrial emissions detection, gas leakage identification, agricultural surveillance, mineral exploration, forest management, and urban planning.
Meanwhile, Galactic Energy is also 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.
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. This was revealed by the founder and CEO, Liu Baiqi, during Airshow China 2024.
Reference(s):
CERES-1 Soars: China's first commercial rocket launch of 2025
cgtn.com
