China's Ceres 1 completes 18th flight delivering eight satellites to orbit

According to a company release, the Ceres 1 rocket lifted off at 4:07 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The vehicle deployed the satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit roughly 535 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

These remote-sensing satellites are intended to monitor and analyze terrestrial and marine environments by capturing both reflected and emitted radiation. Galactic Energy stated that the satellites will collect atmospheric measurements such as temperature, humidity, and pressure, alongside multi-spectral imaging of targeted regions. This data will support a variety of applications including weather prediction, climate analysis, agricultural assessments, forest monitoring, environmental mapping, resource tracking, and disaster response efforts.

Standing approximately 20 meters tall with a 1.4-meter diameter, the Ceres 1 rocket relies on solid propellant and has a liftoff mass of 33 metric tons. It is capable of delivering a payload of 300 kilograms, either as a single satellite or multiple smaller ones, into a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. Alternatively, it can transport up to 350 kilograms to a low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 200 kilometers.

Monday's operation marked the 18th launch of the Ceres 1, with a cumulative total of 71 commercial satellites successfully placed into orbit. The company noted that the Ceres 1 now holds the top success rate among Chinese private rockets.

This launch also represented China's 12th orbital mission of 2025.