Beijing-based commercial aerospace enterprise Galactic Energy has achieved another milestone with the successful sixth maritime deployment of its Ceres 1 carrier rocket. The launch occurred at 4:10 AM local time on January 16, 2026, from a mobile platform stationed in the Yellow Sea near Shandong Province.
The mission successfully delivered four additional satellites into low-Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 850 kilometers, expanding the Tianqi constellation operated by Beijing Guodian Gaoke. This latest deployment brings the constellation’s total to 41 satellites, achieving comprehensive global coverage for Internet of Things (IoT) data collection applications.
The Tianqi network supports critical operations across multiple sectors including sustainable forestry, precision agriculture, ecological tourism, renewable power generation, and environmental monitoring systems. The constellation’s expanded capabilities will enhance real-time data transmission for IoT devices operating in remote locations worldwide.
Since its inaugural flight in November 2020 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Ceres 1 rocket has established an impressive track record. The solid-propellant vehicle stands 20 meters tall with a 1.4-meter diameter, capable of delivering payloads up to 300 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbits or 350 kilograms to lower Earth orbits.
With this most recent accomplishment, Galactic Energy’s launch vehicle has now completed 23 missions with 21 successful deployments, collectively placing 89 commercial satellites into orbit. This achievement reinforces China’s growing private space sector and demonstrates increasing reliability in commercial launch capabilities.