January  16, 2026

Chinese commercial space firm Galactic Energy successfully carried out a sea-based launch of its CERES-1 carrier rocket at 4:10 am on Friday, sending four satellites into orbit in China's first sea-based launch in the new year.

Launched from the coastal area of East China's Shandong Province by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, the launch marked the 23rd successful flight of the CERES-1 carrier rocket, Galactic Energy told the Global Times on Friday.

The satellites belong to the sixth group of the Tianqi constellation, the country's low-Earth orbit internet of Things (IoT) satellite constellation operated by Beijing-based tech firm Guodian Gaoke. After the launch, the constellation has 40 satellites on the orbit, the company told the Global Times on Friday.

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https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202601/1353382.shtml