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CAS Space, a Chinese commercial firm, conducted its inaugural Lihong-1 suborbital flight on January 12, launching from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The mission reached approximately 120 kilometers in altitude and successfully tested the capsule's parachute descent.

This flight validated key technologies for future recoverable launchers, supporting goals in space manufacturing, experiments, medicine, and tourism. The capsule carried a microgravity laser additive manufacturing payload from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aimed at enhancing on-orbit metal manufacturing techniques, along with rose seed samples for mutation studies.

CAS Space plans to upgrade the payload capsule for orbital use and develop Lihong-2 for crewed suborbital flights, targeting multiple on-orbit manufacturing processes. Additionally, other Chinese firms like AZSpace and Interstellor are pursuing similar spaceflight capabilities.