China Achieves Consecutive Orbital Launches with State and Commercial Rockets

China's space sector demonstrated an accelerated operational tempo across both state and commercial domains with two orbital launch successes spanning January 14th and 15th, 2026. The initial mission employed a Long March 2C vehicle from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, followed less than 24 hours later by a sea-based launch of Galactic Energy's Ceres-1S rocket. These consecutive achievements represent China's third and fourth orbital attempts of the year, establishing a high-cadence pace that suggests the national program may surpass 100 total orbital launches in 2026.

The Long March 2C mission, which launched at 12:01 p.m. CST on January 14th, successfully placed the Algerian Remote Sensing Satellite-3A (AlSat-3A) into a Sun-synchronous orbit. Engineered by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) for the Algerian Space Agency (ASAL), the satellite will provide critical data for land-use planning and disaster prevention efforts in Algeria. This delivery fulfills the first part of a July 2023 contract between the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) and ASAL for two optical satellites, continuing a bilateral space relationship that previously included the launch of Alcomsat-1 in December 2017. The state-backed Long March 2C, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), is a 43-meter-long vehicle with a liftoff weight of 242.5 metric tons, primarily used for Low Earth Orbit and Sun-synchronous Orbit deployments. This specific flight marked the 626th launch for the entire Long March rocket family, underscoring the reliability of this foundational launch system.

The second successful operation occurred at 4:10 a.m. Beijing Time on January 15th, involving Galactic Energy's Ceres-1S Y7, marking the first private space mission of 2026. This commercial endeavor lifted off from the Defu 15001 mobile sea platform situated in the Yellow Sea, off the eastern coast of Shandong province. The mission inserted four satellites belonging to the Tianqi Internet-of-Things (IoT) constellation into an 850-km orbit, supporting the network's utilization in sectors such as agriculture and environmental protection. This Ceres-1S flight was the 23rd launch for the Ceres-1 family and the sixth time the sea-launched variant has been employed since its debut in September 2023. The success served as a crucial return-to-flight correction for the Ceres series, following an earlier failure in November 2025, demonstrating the commercial sector's capacity for rapid anomaly resolution.

These concurrent successes highlight the dual-track approach of China's space strategy, balancing the delivery of strategic assets for international partners, managed by entities like CGWIC, with the rapid deployment capabilities of its commercial providers, such as Galactic Energy and the satellite operator Guodian Gaoke. Galactic Energy, founded in February 2018, is also developing the larger Ceres-2 solid-propellant rocket. The operational velocity seen in the first two weeks of 2026, which follows a 2025 total of 93 orbital missions, positions the national program to potentially exceed 100 launches this year, a significant metric in the intensifying global competition for orbital real estate. Other commercial entities, including Orienspace, Deep Blue Aerospace, and Space Pioneer, are also preparing maiden flights for their next-generation rockets.