spacetoday.net: China launches commercial and classified satellites

Posted: Sun, Jan 15, 2023, 11:04 AM ET (1604 GMT)
Two Chinese launches on Jan. 8 and 9. A Long March 7A lifted off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 5 pm EST (2200 GMT) Jan. 8 and placed the Shijian-23 experimental satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. Two smaller payloads, Shiyan-22A and Shiyan-22B, were also onboard and will be used for in-orbit verification tests of new technologies such as space environment monitoring, according to Chinese state media. A Ceres-1 solid-fuel rocket from private firm Galactic Energy lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 12:04 am EST (0504 GMT) Jan. 9, placing five small satellites into sun-synchronous orbit. The launch was the fifth for the Ceres-1. Galactic Energy is now looking to ramp up launch activities and plans 8 to 10 Ceres-1 launches in 2023.