China abruptly postpones ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission launch
Officials said the delay followed a comprehensive assessment focused on prudence, reliability and mission success.
- On Sunday, China announced it postponed the Chang'e-7 lunar mission after a "comprehensive assessment." The China Manned Space Agency stated the uncrewed spacecraft cannot launch within the planned window this year.
- Unfavorable weather conditions around the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan island prompted the delay, as the mission failed to meet required launch conditions for this year.
- Designed to search for water ice at the Moon's south pole, the Chang'e-7 mission is the seventh in the Chang'e lunar exploration program aimed at exploring permanently shadowed craters.
- The Chang'e-7 probe and Long March-5 Y14 carrier rocket were transferred vertically to the Wenchang launch area on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, just days before the postponement announcement.
- Postponed by about a month, the mission will proceed only when conditions meet rigorous standards; China emphasized the decision was based on principles of "prudence, reliability and absolute mission success.
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The lunar probe Chang’e-7 aims to find water at the south pole of the satellite
"Does Not Meet Launch Conditions": China After Manned Moon Mission Delayed
The agency said after a "comprehensive assessment" the mission, which involved sending the Chang'e-7 lunar probe on a Long March 5 carrier rocket, "does not meet launch conditions and cannot take place during the planned window this year".
China says unmanned moon mission delayed over 'launch conditions'
BEIJING: China's manned space agency said on Sunday (Aug 23) it is delaying a research moon mission that is part of Beijing's efforts to land a crew there by 2030, less than two weeks after a rare launch failure.
On Sunday, the Chinese Space Agency announced that it had postponed the launch of a research mission to the Moon, which was part of Beijing's effort to land a crew there by 2030. The Agency said that after a "comprehensive assessment," the mission of sending the Chang E-7 moon probe on a Long Marsh 5 rocket "can't take place during this year's launch window." It added that the decision to postpone was made "based on the principle of precaution a…
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