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Chinese firm's rocket launch completes first phase of nation's low-Earth orbit IoT satellite constellation

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 19, 2025 09:19 PM

Chinese commercial space firm Galactic Energy successfully conducted a sea-based launch of its CERES-1 carrier rocket at 3:38 pm (local time) on Monday, completing the first phase of the Tianqi constellation, the country's low-Earth orbit Internet of Things (IoT) satellite constellation, a move hailed as a milestone in enabling global device connectivity.

Launched from the coastal area of East China's Shandong Province by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, the CERES-1 sea-launched variant carried a group of four satellites into their planned orbits. The mission marked the sixth deployment of Tianqi constellation satellites aboard CERES-1 rockets, and its success signifies the full completion of the Tianqi constellation phase-1 global network, Galactic Energy told the Global Times on Monday.

The Tianqi constellation, which has 37 satellites in its initial phase, is China's first low-Earth orbit satellite network dedicated to IoT communications. Designed for global coverage with satellites that are small, low-cost and energy-efficient, the constellation offers integrated sky-ground-sea data services. It is being used across a broad range of sectors, including forestry, agriculture, emergency response, water resources, energy, marine monitoring and smart city management, according to the company.

The network is also advancing toward direct-to-device satellite services, with applications being explored in connected vehicles, smart wearables and consumer communications, said the company.

Developed by Beijing-based commercial space firm Galactic Energy, the CERES-1 rocket series has completed 19 commercial launch missions, successfully deploying 81 satellites with varying functions into orbit. Since its maiden sea-based flight in September 2023, the CERES-1 maritime launch platform has achieved a 100 percent success rate across five missions.

The successful launch also reflects the growing maturity and reliability of China's commercial space sector, with other private firms making notable strides. Another key player, LandSpace, on Saturday completed a mission using its ZQ-2E methane-liquid oxygen rocket, further diversifying China's commercial launch capabilities.

The launch mission commenced at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Launch Site in Northwest China, delivering a batch of six Tianyi commercial satellites into their preset orbits, marking a complete success. According to its developer, the ZQ-2E model is China's first dual-cryogenic liquid-fueled launch vehicle to utilize fully subcooled propellant loading, which features abundant volumes, low costs and ease of storage compared with liquid hydrogen.

As more private firms emerge and demonstrate technological breakthroughs, China's commercial space industry is witnessing robust growth in both scale and scope. The number of commercial space enterprises in China has surged to more than 500. The market size of China's commercial space sector is expected to exceed 2.5 trillion yuan ($346.76 billion) this year, the Xinhua News Agency reported.