Chinese launch startup Galactic Energy has successfully completed its fourth sea launch, further contributing to China’s impressive launch cadence. A Ceres-1 solid rocket lifted off from a converted mobile sea platform off the coast of Shandong province, carrying four Tianqi satellites into orbit.
The satellites, belonging to Guodian Gaoke, are part of the Tianqi low-Earth orbit narrow-band Internet of Things constellation. This launch marks the third time a Ceres-1 rocket has deployed a batch of four Tianqi satellites, bringing the total number of Tianqi satellites in orbit to 33.
This mission also represents the 16th launch of the Ceres-1 rocket, with 15 of those launches being successful. Galactic Energy is steadily establishing itself as a reliable launch provider, particularly with its innovative sea launch capabilities.
Looking ahead, Galactic Energy is developing the Pallas-1 kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket, with a planned debut flight in 2025. This more powerful rocket will eventually be adapted for first-stage reusability and will be capable of carrying larger payloads into orbit.
This latest Ceres-1 launch follows another successful Chinese mission on December 16th, where a Long March 2D rocket deployed four synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites. These satellites, developed by GalaxySpace, are part of a growing trend of commercial SAR satellite development in China.
With these recent launches, China has now conducted 66 orbital launch attempts in 2024, sending over 260 spacecraft into orbit. This puts the country on track to surpass its national launch record of 67 launches set in 2023.
December has been a particularly busy month for China’s space program, with seven launches already completed, including the deployment of the first Guowang megaconstellation satellites and a batch of Qianfan satellites. More launches are planned in the coming days, including a Long March 3B mission and another Long March 8 launch carrying a fourth set of Qianfan satellites.
China’s launch and satellite deployment numbers are expected to increase significantly next year as the country begins constructing the ambitious Qianfan and Guowang megaconstellations. These projects represent a major step forward in China’s space ambitions, solidifying its position as a leading space power.