Galactic Energy attempted to demonstrate the operational capabilities of its Ceres-2 medium-lift launch vehicle on January 17, 2026, with a payload consisting of five commercial small satellites. The maiden flight served as a technology demonstration mission, designed to validate the rocket's performance and reliability for future commercial operations. The satellites were lost during the flight sequence.

The Ceres-2 is a solid-fueled medium-lift rocket developed by Galactic Energy, a Chinese commercial space company. The vehicle is designed to deliver approximately 400 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit. The launch occurred from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, a major spaceport that has supported numerous Chinese government and commercial space missions.

The mission ended in failure when the Ceres-2 experienced an anomaly during flight, preventing it from reaching orbit and resulting in the loss of all five commercial payloads. The failure during this maiden flight represents a setback for Galactic Energy's efforts to establish reliable access to space through domestic launch services. Details regarding the specific cause of the failure have not been publicly disclosed.