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

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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