Double Setback for Beijing: Shijian-32 and Ceres-2 Launch Failures

China Hit by Dual Launch Failures as Shijian-32 and Ceres-2 Lost

Mohd Hanif Ismail - : Jan 17, 2026 - : 10:10 pm

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The Asia-Pacific aerospace sector is reassessing regional launch reliability following a significant double setback for China’s space programme. In a rare 24-hour window of misfortune, both a state-led heavy mission and a high-profile private sector debut ended in failure. The losses involve the Shijian-32, a classified experimental satellite, and the maiden flight of the Ceres-2, a rocket intended to bolster China's commercial competitive edge in the regional small-satellite market.

The sequence of events began in the early hours of Saturday, 17 January 2026. A Long March 3B carrier rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province at 12:55 am local time. Tasked with delivering the Shijian-32 satellite into orbit, the mission encountered an unspecified anomaly during flight. By Saturday afternoon, the streak of bad luck continued at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. At 12:08 pm, the Ceres-2, developed by Beijing-based private firm Galactic Energy, suffered a flight abnormality shortly after ignition, resulting in the destruction of the vehicle and its six-satellite payload.

According to reports from Xinhua News Agency and China Daily, technical investigations are currently underway at both launch sites to determine the root causes of the malfunctions. Industry observers note that while the Long March 3B is a veteran workhorse of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the Ceres-2 failure represents a more strategic blow to China’s burgeoning private aerospace ecosystem. Galactic Energy had positioned the Ceres-2 as a larger, more capable successor to its Ceres-1 series, aiming to capture a larger share of the Asia-Pacific commercial launch demand.

Technical impact and regional implications

The Ceres-2 is a 100-tonne, four-stage launch vehicle featuring three solid-propellant core stages and a liquid-fueled upper stage. It was designed to carry up to 1.6 tonnes to low-Earth orbit (LEO). Its loss, alongside six commercial satellites, underscores the inherent risks in the rapid scaling of private launch capacity within the region. For the state sector, the loss of Shijian-32 is equally sensitive. While official descriptions label Shijian satellites as experimental or multirole, Western defence analysts often categorise the series as platforms for testing high-end signals intelligence or space-based surveillance technologies.

Market context and competitive landscape

These failures come at a time when China is aggressively expanding its orbital presence to rival the US-led Starlink and Shield constellations. The commercial stakes are high; Galactic Energy had recently touted its ability to launch from both land and sea to increase mission flexibility for regional clients. The financial implications are significant, with the Ceres-2 representing a substantial investment in R&D and infrastructure for a private entity. Similar launch vehicles in this class typically involve development costs exceeding several hundred million yuan (approximately US$42 million), and the loss of six satellites adds further pressure to the commercial insurance and venture capital markets supporting Chinese space startups.

Resilience in the Asia-Pacific space race

Despite the setbacks, the broader trajectory of the Chinese space sector remains ambitious. Just one day prior to these failures, on Friday, 16 January 2026, Galactic Energy successfully executed a sea-based launch of its Ceres-1S rocket from the waters off Shandong province, delivering four Tianqi constellation satellites into orbit. This juxtaposition of success and failure highlights the volatile nature of the current Asia-Pacific space race, where high-frequency launch schedules are increasingly the norm. Regional competitors, including India’s ISRO and emerging private players in Japan and Australia, are watching closely as China moves to rectify these technical hurdles to maintain its dominant position in the regional launch manifest.