A Ceres-2 rocket launched four satellites from China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on November 7, 2026. Liftoff occurred at 7:37 a.m. Beijing time, and the spacecraft entered a reported 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, according to Xinhua’s launch account.
The payload combined ocean observation, resource monitoring, and satellite technology experiments. Its four spacecraft were Guanlan, Yunyao-1 28, Zhongbei University-1, and Juntian-1 06A.
Guanlan is intended for sea-surface-height observations. Measurements of ocean height support the study of ocean conditions and changes in the marine environment.
Yunyao-1 28 carries satellite-operation technology experiments. Zhongbei University-1 is assigned resource observation and hazard monitoring, and Juntian-1 06A carries platform and space-target monitoring tests.
Rocket and Orbit
Ceres-2 uses three solid-propellant stages and a liquid-propellant upper stage. The reported vehicle specifications include a launch mass of approximately 100 metric tons and a payload capacity of 1.3 metric tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.
Solid-propellant stages contain their fuel and oxidizer in a prepared propellant mixture. A liquid-propellant upper stage provides a separate propulsion system for the later portion of the flight and orbital delivery.
A sun-synchronous orbit maintains a consistent relationship between its orbital plane and the Sun. For Earth-observation missions, that arrangement supports observations under broadly comparable lighting conditions on successive passes.
The November 7 mission delivered all four spacecraft to the reported orbit, placing their separate observation and technology-testing activities on a shared launch.
