Private Chinese rocket maker launches five satellites

Galactic Energy, a private rocket maker in Beijing, used its Ceres 1 carrier rocket to send five small satellites into space on Friday morning.

The company said in a news release that the rocket blasted off at 7:39 pm at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gobi Desert and placed the satellites into an orbit about 535 kilometers above the Earth.

The satellites are tasked with verifying new technologies and measuring atmospheric elements, according to Galactic Energy.

The launch marked the 13th flight of the Ceres 1 rocket model, and took place only two days after its 12th mission.

On Wednesday afternoon, Galactic Energy launched a Ceres 1 from a ship in the Yellow Sea, placing four satellites into an orbit. It was the second sea-based launch by the company.

The solid-propellant Ceres 1 is about 20 meters tall, has a diameter of 1.4 meters and mainly burns solid propellant. With a liftoff weight of 33 metric tons, it is capable of sending a 300-kilogram satellite or several satellites with a combined weight of 300 kg, to a 500-km sun synchronous orbit, or 350-kg payloads to a low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 200 km.

The 13 Ceres 1 flights have placed 44 satellites into space, according to Galactic Energy.