Chinese commercial space firm Galactic Energy successfully carries out a sea-based launch of its CERES-1 carrier rocket at 4:10 am off the coast of East China's Shandong Province on January 16, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of Galactic Energy

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.

Since its maiden sea-based flight in September 2023, the CERES-1 maritime launch platform has achieved a 100 percent success rate across six missions.

The new satellites perform augmentation role after a launch on May 19, 2025 completed the first phase of the Tianqi constellation.

The Tianqi constellation is China's first low-Earth orbit satellite network dedicated to IoT communications. Designed for global coverage with satellites that are small, low-cost and energy-efficient, the constellation offers integrated space-sky-ground-sea data services. It is being used across a broad range of sectors, including forestry, agriculture, emergency response, water resources, energy, marine monitoring and smart city management, according to Guodian Gaoke.

The launch came as more Chinese commercial space companies zoom in on offshore launch.

Last week, Chinese private aerospace company SEPOCH began construction of the country's first offshore reusable rocket recovery base in the Qiantang district, Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, according to a statement the company sent to the Global Times. 

Once completed, the base will have the capacity to manufacture 25 rockets annually at scale, the company said.

The company said it expects to conduct the rocket's first flight and offshore recovery mission by the end of 2026.