Galactic Energy, a carrier rocket maker in Beijing, has become the first private enterprise in China to have conducted two orbital missions that placed satellites in outer space.

The company's CERES 1 Y2 rocket, the second of its kind, blasted off at 12:12 pm Tuesday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gobi Desert and flew for about 14 minutes before deploying five small satellites into sun-synchronous orbits about 500 kilometers above the Earth, the private startup said in a statement.

The payloads lifted by the rocket are two scientific experimental satellites, two remote-sensing satellites and an infrared Earth-observation satellite.

The mission marked the first time a privately built Chinese rocket has successfully completed two orbital launches. The SQX 1 rocket developed by i-Space, another Beijing-based private rocket company, previously failed in its second orbital launch attempt.

Tuesday's launch was also the first successful launch by the country's private space sector this year.

An orbital mission is a spaceflight by a carrier rocket that deploys payloads into an orbit in outer space. In addition to i-Space and Galactic Energy, other Chinese private enterprises have also attempted orbital missions, a threshold for any serious newcomer in the global space sector that was first crossed by the United States' SpaceX.

CERES 1 made its debut flight in November last year from the Jiuquan center, becoming the second privately developed Chinese carrier rocket to successfully realize an orbital mission, after i-Space's SQX 1.

A CERES 1 is about 20 meters tall, has a diameter of 1.4 meters and is mainly propelled by solid propellant. With a liftoff weight of 33 metric tons, it is capable of sending a 300-kilogram satellite, or several satellites with a combined weight of 300 kg, to a 500-km sun synchronous orbit, or 350-kg payloads to a low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 200 km.

The rocket is ideal for domestic and foreign clients seeking a small, cost-efficient launch vehicle to deploy mini satellites, designers said.

Galactic Energy was established in February 2018 by some engineers from State-owned space conglomerates.

Its engineers are now designing the Pallas 1, a larger, liquid-propellant rocket model that can be reused, Xia Dongkun, a vice-president of Galactic Energy, said.

He said design of the new rocket's engine has been finalized and ground tests will soon start.

"We plan to complete the development of Pallas 1 and perform its maiden flight in the first half of 2023," he said at the company's Beijing headquarters after Tuesday's launch.

"In 2022, we will strive to carry out five to six commercial launches of the CERES 1."

Wu Peixin, an industry observer in Beijing, said Tuesday's successful launch will inject momentum and confidence into China's private space sector and will see private space companies attract more attention and resources.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

Related Links
Galactic Energy
The Chinese Space Program - News, Policy and Technology
China News from SinoDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Chinese astronauts to give space lecture on Dec. 9
Beijing (XNA) Dec 08, 2021
A special lecture will begin at 3:40 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Thursday, given by the three Shenzhou-13 crew members aboard China's space station, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Monday. The three astronauts, namely Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, will interact with students on Earth. The primary ground classroom will be at the China Science and Technology Museum. Classrooms will also be set up in Nanning of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Wenchuan County o ... read more