China postpones Chang’e-7 lunar mission
HAIKOU, China — China has announced the postponement of its ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission, which was intended to explore water ice on the moon, reports BritPanorama.
The Chang’e-7 spacecraft was originally scheduled to launch in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on China’s southern Hainan island.
The Manned Space Agency stated that the mission does not meet the required launch conditions and “cannot take place during the planned window this year.”
The decision follows a “comprehensive assessment” based on principles of “prudence, reliability and absolute mission success.” Specific reasons for the postponement were not disclosed.
Preparations at the Wenchang launch site had advanced in recent weeks for the Chang’e-7 mission, the seventh project in China’s moon exploration program. According to Xinhua, the mission aimed to achieve breakthroughs in critical technologies.
The primary objectives included exploring permanently shadowed lunar craters and conducting environmental and resource surveys of the lunar south pole.
Chang’e is named after a Chinese moon goddess. Previous missions have set notable precedents, such as the successful return of the Chang’e-6 probe to Earth in 2024, which brought back rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon, marking a world first.
