Latest news with #GalacticEnergy
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watch China's private Ceres-1 rocket launch 4 satellites from a ship at sea (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Chinese company Galactic Energy launched its solid-propellant rocket this morning (May 19) from a ship at sea. The Ceres-1 rocket launched today from the waters off the east coast of China's Shandong Province. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center coordinated the launch, which sent four Tianqi satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). Liftoff occurred at 3:38 a.m. EDT (0738 GMT; 3:38 p.m. local Beijing time). This was the fifth launch of Ceres-1 from a sea-based platform. The four Tianqi satellites join a constellation of Internet of Things (IoT) data-connectivity spacecraft operated by the Beijing-based company Guodian Gaoke. Ceres-1 is a four stage, 66-foot-tall (20 meters) launch vehicle powered by one solid rocket engine on each of its lower three stages and a hydrazine liquid engine on its fourth stage. While today's launch was the Ceres-1's fifth liftoff at sea, it was the rocket's 20th flight overall. All but one have been successful. Related stories: — US and China need a space hotline for orbital emergencies, experts say — China plans to take 'hack-proof' quantum satellite technology to new heights — Watch China launch Smart Dragon-3 rocket from the sea (video) Guodian Gaoke has now launched a total of 41 Tianqi satellites to LEO, completing the company's initial plans for its constellation. The Tianqi network is designed to provide global data transmission for internet-connected smart devices, for both government and private users. Galactic Energy has proven a successful company within China's commercial space industry. In addition to the Ceres-1, the company is developing a liquid-propellant launch vehicle, called Pallas-1, which is expected to debut later this year. As it progresses, the Pallas-1 design will eventually incorporate a recoverable and reusable first stage.
South China Morning Post
25-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
China in bid to challenge giant SpaceX by deploying maglev rocket launch pad by 2028
In a bid to disrupt the United States' long-held dominance in space exploration, China is quietly advancing a radical new rocket launch system – powered not by roaring engines but by electromagnetic force – that could propel satellites into orbit with unprecedented speed and efficiency. Advertisement At the heart of the ambitious project is Galactic Energy , a private aerospace company that plans to debut the world's first electromagnetic rocket launch pad by 2028, a project that could redraw the competitive lines of the global space industry. Developed in partnership with state-backed research institutes in Sichuan province in southwestern China, the system uses superconducting magnets to silently accelerate rockets to supersonic speeds before ignition, a process often compared to launching a maglev train vertically. 11:05 Space race elevates Asia in new world order Space race elevates Asia in new world order The Ziyang government in Sichuan and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) is testing China's first electromagnetic launch verification platform with the ambitious goal of launching in three years, according to a report by Sichuan Radio and Television last week. The platform would accelerate rockets to speeds above Mach 1 as rockets burn most fuel at the beginning of a flight, and offers a future in which launches could become as routine as high-speed rail departures. The technology could double payload capacity and lower the launch cost, said Li Ping, president of the Ziyang Commercial Space Launch Technology Research Institute. Li said the launch track would not require the maintenance needed for traditional launch pads, enabling more frequent launches. Advertisement If successful, it could offer China the critical edge it seeks to challenge American giants such as SpaceX.
