China’s private sector kicks off 2026 with successful rocket launches

Beijing-based private rocket manufacturer Galactic Energy marked China’s first private space mission of 2026 with the sixth sea-based launch of its Ceres 1 carrier rocket.

The rocket lifted off at 4:10 a.m. from a mobile launch platform in the Yellow Sea off Shandong province, successfully placing four satellites into a low-Earth orbit approximately 850 kilometres above the planet, the company said in a news release, according to Chinese media reports.

The satellites, built by Beijing-based private operator Guodian Gaoke, expand its Tianqi network to 41 satellites, providing global coverage. “The network collects data for the Internet of Things and has been used in fields such as forestry, agriculture, tourism, power generation, and environmental protection,” Galactic Energy said.

Ceres 1, a solid-propellant rocket standing about 20 metres tall with a diameter of 1.4 metres and a liftoff weight of 33 metric tons, made its maiden flight in November 2020 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Inner Mongolia. It became the second privately developed Chinese rocket to successfully reach orbit after i-Space’s SQX 1.

The rocket can carry a single 300-kilogram satellite or multiple satellites totalling 300 kilograms into a 500-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit, or a 350-kilogram payload to a 200-kilometre low-Earth orbit. To date, 21 of its 23 flights have been successful, deploying 89 commercial satellites. Galactic Energy is also preparing the inaugural mission of its larger Ceres 2 rocket at Jiuquan.

Other private Chinese launch providers, including Orienspace, Deep Blue Aerospace, and Space Pioneer, are planning maiden flights of new rockets such as Gravity 2, Nebula 1, and TL 3.

In parallel, China continues its state-backed space cooperation. On January 15, a Long March 2C rocket placed Algeria’s AlSat-3A remote-sensing satellite into orbit from the Jiuquan centre at 12:01 p.m., according to China Great Wall Industry, the project contractor. Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, AlSat-3A will support land-use planning, disaster prevention, and mitigation efforts.

“Under a contract signed in July 2023, China will deliver two optical remote-sensing satellites to Algeria and provide ground systems, training, and other support services,” the company said. AlSat-3A is the first satellite under this agreement, marking a new milestone in China-Algeria space cooperation following the 2017 launch of the Alcomsat-1 communications satellite.

By Vafa Guliyeva