Ceres-2
| Manufacturer | Galactic Energy |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Stages | 4 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to Low Earth orbit | |
| Mass | 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) (500 km LEO) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Comparable | kuaizhou-11, Jielong 3, Lijian-1 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | JSLC |
| Total launches | 2 |
| Success(es) | 1 |
| Failure | 1 |
| First flight | 17 January 2026 |
| Last flight | 6 November 2026 |
| First stage | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Second stage | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Third stage | |
| Powered by | 1 Solid |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Fourth stage – Advanced liquid upper stage | |
Ceres-2 (Chinese: 谷神星二号; pinyin: Gǔshénxīng Er-hào; lit. 'Ceres-2'), is a four-stage rocket manufactured and operated by Galactic Energy, the first three stages use solid-propellant rocket motors and the final stage uses a hydrazine propulsion system. The rocket has a diameter of 3.35 metres and it can deliver 1,600 kg (880 lb) to a 500 km low Earth orbit, or 1,300 kg to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit. Ceres-2 is a development from the earlier and smaller Ceres-1 launcher.
The first launch of Ceres-2 on 17 January 2026 failed to reach orbit; however the second launch on 6 November 2026 was successful.
Launch statistics summary
0.5
1
1.5
2
2026
'27
'28
- Failure
- Partial failure
- Success
- Planned
Launches
| Rocket & Serial | Date | Payload | Orbit | Launch site | Outcome | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceres-2 Y1 | 17 January 2026 | unknown | SSO | Jiuquan | Failure | First flight of Ceres-2. |
| Ceres-2 Y3 | 6 November 2026 23:37 |
Guanlan, Yunyao-1 28, North University of China No. 1, Juntian-1 06A |
SSO | Jiuquan | Success | First successful flight of Ceres-2. |
References
- ↑ Gunter Krebs. "Ceres 2". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
- ↑ Andrew Jones (2 January 2025). "China to debut new Long March and commercial rockets in 2025". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved 6 November 2026.
- 1 2 李, 国利; 崔, 婉莹 (6 November 2026). "谷神星二号遥三运载火箭发射成功". XINHUAnet.com. Retrieved 6 November 2026.