Shandong Province, China — In a significant stride for China’s private space industry, commercial space company Galactic Energy successfully conducted its second sea launch mission, aptly named "Beautiful World", on Wednesday. The CERES-1S Y2 carrier rocket lifted off from a mobile launch platform in the waters off the coast of east China’s Shandong Province at 4:12 p.m., sending four Tianqi Constellation satellites (numbers 25 to 28) into an 850-kilometer low Earth orbit.
The CERES-1S, a sea-launch variant of the company’s proven CERES-1 rocket, demonstrates advanced capabilities in flexible launch operations. As a four-stage launch vehicle, the CERES-1S can carry payloads of approximately 300 kilograms to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers. Its design allows for adaptable launch points and landing areas, providing high-quality and cost-effective launch services for a variety of small satellites.
This successful mission underscores Galactic Energy’s growing role in China’s burgeoning commercial space sector. By utilizing sea-based launches, the company reduces the risk to populated areas and increases the frequency of launch opportunities, contributing to the rapid deployment of satellite constellations for communication, navigation, and Earth observation.
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Chinese private firm Galactic Energy launches four satellites from sea
cgtn.com
