On October 21, China successfully launched the Ceres-1 carrier rocket from a sea platform near Rizhao, Shandong Province. This mission marked the 24th flight for the rocket, which was developed by the private company Galactic Energy.
The rocket, measuring approximately 20 meters in length with a 1.4-meter diameter and a launch mass of 33 tons, features three solid-fuel stages and a liquid-fuel upper stage. It is capable of delivering a 300-kilogram payload to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
The launch carried the Xiguang-4 01 remote sensing satellite, built by Xi'an Zhongke Xiguang Technology Group. The satellite is designed to collect high-resolution data for land surveying, environmental protection, water quality monitoring, and disaster assessment.
A notable innovation in this mission was the implementation of a new control scheme. For the first time, Chinese engineers managed the sea-based launch operations directly from a land-based command center located in Rizhao.
