A CERES-1 Y7 commercial rocket blasted off at 4:10 a.m. (Beijing Time) on January 16, sending four satellites belonging to the sixth group of the Tianqi constellation into orbit. This is China's first sea-based launch in the new year.

The latest launch acts as an enhancement mission for the Tianqi constellation, China's first low-Earth orbit internet of Things (IoT) satellite constellation. It follows the completion of its first-phase global network deployment by the CERES-1 Y5 rocket on May 19, 2025. With this launch, the constellation enters a new stage characterized by the large-scale application and ecosystem-driven growth of China's next-generation satellite communication services.