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CAS Space successfully launched its first Lihong-1 suborbital flight on January 12 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, reaching an altitude of approximately 120 kilometers. The mission tested the capsule's parachute descent and carried a microgravity laser additive manufacturing payload, aimed at improving on-orbit metal manufacturing techniques, along with rose seed samples for mutation studies. Looking ahead, CAS Space plans to upgrade the capsule for orbital use and develop Lihong-2 for crewed suborbital flights, while other Chinese firms pursue similar spaceflight capabilities.