China Starts 2025 With a Bang: Satellites Launch, Dragon-3 Rocket Sea Tests and More

21st Jan 2025
China Starts 2025 With a Bang: Satellites Launch, Dragon-3 Rocket Sea Tests and More

China has been considerably active since the turn of the New Year, opening 2025 with many significant space-related activities. This January, China has successfully launched three satellites into orbit, including a Pakistan satellite. More recently, China also conducted a secret test launch that was captured by an amateur videographer. Yet, these missions are just the tip of the iceberg. 

They launched their Dragon-3 rocket from the sea – their first ocean-based launch for 2025. In addition, they’ve placed a number of satellites into orbit. However, the question still remains: how long can they maintain such strong momentum? Can they achieve similar, if not better, results compared to 2024?   

Sending three satellites into space (including one for Pakistan)

Credit: CGTN

China’s most recent launch has resulted in three satellites being placed in orbit conducted by China’s Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST). Two domestically built spacecraft were launched: the Tianlu-1 satellite, a middle and upper atmosphere surveying satellite developed by GalaxySpace, and Geespace’s Lantan-1 satellite. But most interestingly, the other, and third satellite, transported to orbit was for Pakistan. 

On Friday 17 January at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Long March 2-D took flight marking its 95th mission and retaining its 100% mission success rate. The attention grabbing satellite onboard from Pakistan was the PRSC-EO1, designed to conduct remote sensing. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) said the satellite is “equipped with a high-resolution optical payload… [and] will service various fields in Pakistan, including: 

  • Land mapping
  • Agricultural classification and assessment
  • Urban and rural planning environmental monitoring
  • Natural disaster monitoring and management
  • Surveying
  • Natural resource protection
  • And others.”

China’s Space Relationship with Pakistan

According to CGWIC, who coordinated the payloads onboard Long March 2-D, confirmed the successful launch and outlined the purpose of the Pakistan satellite. But when did their partnership begin? Back in 2022, CGWIC inked a “multi-launch service agreement” with their Pakistan space counterpart, the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). 

The satellite launched by CAST is the first in a series of launches set to take place over the coming months and years. CGWIC said: “Pakistan is the country with the longest history and the broadest scope of space cooperation with China. The successful implementation of the PRSC-EO1 satellite project marks another milestone in the space collaboration between China and Pakistan.”

China’s other space activities

China launch rocket from the sea
Credit: CASTC

Even though January is only half way through, China’s space ambitions have not gone unnoticed. So far, they have conducted three launches, including the ocean-based launch of their Smart Dragon-3 spacecraft. Onboard this launcher was ten CentiSpace 01 satellites, designed to collate “space environment data and intersatellite networking tests,” CASTC said. Interestingly, CASTC noted it was the heaviest payload Smart Dragon-3 has faced during its tenure. 

Earlier in the month, China also launched their Shijian-25 satellite servicer into ‘preset’ orbit. While in space, the satellite will attempt to validate refueling and life extension of other Chinese – and partner nations – satellites, according to the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology

Along with their range of successful launches, China also plans to debut 9 of its rockets including the Long March 8A. Chief Designer, Song Zhengyu, said: “The Long March 8A rocket is specially developed based on the Long March 8 rocket to meet the future medium and low orbit giant constellation network launch needs.” Plans are to launch the rocket sometime in January, 2025 – so watch this space (pardon the pun). 

Is China’s latest rocket test a secret?

Most recently, and the latest in a long line of aforementioned launches, China has appeared to test an undisclosed launcher. The launch seemed to be a reentry and landing test which was validated by amateur video (click the link to watch). And while China remains tight-lipped, the title of the video: “China’s first reusable rocket flight live CZ-12A Longxing 2” appears to shed some light. However, this is still unconfirmed.

No official announcements regarding the test have been circulated, so it begs the question: why is this test a secret? If the test was a failure this could explain why nothing has been released; yet, this is only speculation. As such, we’ll all have to watch and wait to see if the launch was successful or not – if anything is disclosed, that is.

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