At 15:32 (Beijing time) on November 7, 2020，a commercial carrier rocket “Ceres-1 (Y1)” developed by Galactic Energy (Beijing) Space Technology Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as " Galactic Energy") was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The launch smoothly sent the National Hi-tech Apocalypse satelite #11 accurately into the predetermined orbit .This is the first launch mission carried out by Galactic Energy . It is also the first time that China's private commercial rocket has entered the 500km solar synchronous orbit, which is another major breakthrough in China's commercial space.
"Getting into orbit is a basic threshold for a rocket company. You have to cross that threshold to talk about business, to talk about markets. Although China’s private commercial rocket started 30 years later than that of the United States, with the encouragement of national policy support, the vigorous increase in the capital market and the unremitting efforts of entrepreneurs, the launch of the SSO was realized in just five years, which is a great achievement. It marks the real arrival of China's commercial spaceflight era. As the first company in China to enter 500km Sun-synchronous Orbit(SSO),Galactic Energy is a symbol of our ability to engage in commercial launch eras, but this is just the beginning, our goal is to make commercial rocket more reliable, more economic, higher density of emission, to complete the beneficial complementarity of the China aerospace, and to support the rapid development of China's commercial space industry. " said Dr. Liu Baiqi, CEO of Galactic Energy.
Ceres-1 (Y1) Carrier Rocket is a four-stage solid carrier rocket independently designed by Galactic Energy. The first three stages are powered by solid engines, and the fourth stage is an advanced liquid upper stage. The rocket is 1.4m in diameter, 19m in length, having a take-off mass of 31t, and a carrying capacity of 300kg in 500km SSO. In addition to the launch satellites, the capsule also carried three chips, respectively, Galactic Energy united the famous network show Summer of the Band 2 through the WEIBO campaign, colleccted of #The words to the one you care the most# from the fans, pop music artist Pang Kuan’s new single Time After Time, and the best wishes to Country’s space exploration from Galactic Energy Company's internal staff. were sent togetere into the space carried by the upper stage of the rocket; At the same time, during this launch, with the help of the terminal stage of the rocket from orbit passivation, Galactic Energy and Beijing Aerospace Ark Space Technology Co., Ltd. jointly carried out the verification of the key technology of "commercial recoverable satellite orbit reentry".
The successful launch of the Ceres-1 is another milestone in the development of China's private commercial launch vehicle industry. Unlike the state-owned system, commercial space is market-oriented and emphasizes economic closed-loop. On the premise of reliability and economy, the enterprise must have extremely excellent capability in innovation, rapid iteration and leap of commercial space technology. Galactic Energy has carried out many innovations around Ceres-1 carrier rocket:
The launch is also the first application of technologies such as vertical self-targeting and vector solid thrust control on private commercial launch vehicles.
In addition to completing the innovative breakthrough in technology, Galactic Energy is also actively promoting the cross boundry cooperation of space science technology and social cultural life, with the goal of transmitting the spirit of space exploration to young people, and actively trying to dig a new form for the space knowledge popularization. Resulting in the birth of the first cross-border cooperation between private space and entertainment shows in China, and completed the first music release in space. Thanks to the "Summer of the Band 2" program team and musician Pang Kuan, this cooperation has brought infinite inspiration to our subsequent crossover and added more possibilities to the diversified development of space science.
In the era when China is vigorously building a space power and the "new infrastructure" of space Internet, Galactic Energy has the honor to become an important participant in the new era, and we feel very proud of it.
Thanks to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, Beijing Municipal Government and other agencies and departments for their guidance and help to Galactic Energy.
We would like to thank China Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China Science and Industry Corporation, China Electronic Science and Technology Corporation and other companies for their help and support to Galactic Energy.
We would like to thank every employee of Galactic Energy for their efforts and hard work.And special thank to every employee's family for their kindly support and tolerance.
Getting into orbit is just the beginning.
In the future, Galactic Energy will continue to provide more flexible, fast and economical commercial space launch service solutions for the global space industry with creative wisdom and enthusiasm, and accelerate its entry into the new stage of large-scale commercial launch.
In addition to the launch of "Ceres-1" solid rocket, Galactic Energy aimed to fill the domestic blank, the self-developed, larger, medium-sized reusable liquid oxygen/ kerosene launch vehicle, PALLAS-1, will complete full-system ground thermal testing of the 40-ton main engine within this year, thus further speed up the building of "combination of solid and liquid, high and low collocation, near and far convergence” commercial spectrum of launch vehicles.
Though the clouds are high, the wind can control them; Although the river is wide, a bridge can jump over it; It is a long way to go.
The era of commercial aerospace has alredy come.
