China completes the first IoT satellite constellation with commercial sea launch

China completed a global network for a satellite constellation for the Internet of Things (IoT) with a commercial launch from the sea on Monday. 

China's private space firm Galactic Energy launched the last four satellites for the first phase of the constellation from the sea near east China's Shandong Province aboard a CERES-1S Y5 carrier rocket at 3:38 p.m. Beijing Time.

The four satellites belong to China's first low Earth orbit IoT communication constellation, "Tianqi," whose first phase comprises 37 satellites.

The constellation provides users worldwide with consumer-grade satellite IoT data services, including global coverage, miniaturization and low power consumption, at low cost. It has been widely applied in industries such as forestry, agriculture, emergency response, tourism, water resources, power, petroleum, marine, ecological environment, and smart cities, as well as in digital economy scenarios. 

It is also expanding into the direct-to-satellite (D2S) market for consumer electronics, including automobiles, walkie-talkies, smartwatches, and more.

Monday's launch was the Beijing-based rocket company's 19th mission. So far, Galactic Energy has sent 81 satellites into orbit with two rocket models. 

The CERES-1S is specially tailored for sea launch and made its maiden flight on September 5, 2023. The rocket has since carried out five sea launches.

The company claims it is currently the only company among China's private aerospace companies capable of carrying out land- and sea-based launches. 

With a diameter of 1.4 meters and a liftoff weight of about 33 tonnes, the CERES-1 rocket model can deliver 300-kilogram payloads to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit or 500-kilogram to 500-km low Earth orbit.