China postponed the launch of the lunar mission Chang’e-7, which specialized bodies pointed to today, after the authorities concluded that the conditions for take-off were not met.
© Lusa
24/08/2026
by
Lusa
A the decision was taken “according to the principles of prudence, reliability and absence of risks,” the chinese space programme agency informed in a brief statement on sunday evening.
According to the entity, the Chang’e-7 mission “does not meet the conditions for launch” and cannot be carried out within the window scheduled for this year.
The authorities have not specified the actual causes of the postponement or have so far announced a new date for launch.
Specialized agencies had pointed out the launch of the mission at 08:00 today (01:00 in Lisbon).
On August 19, the Chang’e-7 probe and the Long March-5 Y14 rocket were transported to the launch platform of the Wenchang space center on Hainan Island in southern China after completion of assembly and testing work.
At the time, the official Chinese news agency Xinhua indicated that, before launch, functional checks, joint tests and fuel supply would be carried out, adding that take-off was scheduled for the “next days”, without advancing an official date.
The Chang’e-7 is intended to explore the southern pole of the Moon, a region that has aroused growing scientific interest due to the possible presence of water ice in craters permanently in the shade.
The mission integrates an orbital module, a travel module, an exploration vehicle, a small vehicle capable of moving through jumps and a relay satellite, aiming to perform operations in orbit, travel and exploration of the lunar surface.
Among the mission objectives are the study of the lunar environment, the regolith (the dust covering the Moon's soil), volatile components, surface structure, seismic activity, magnetic field and thermal properties of the region.
The data collected by Chang’e-7 should form the basis for the Chang’e-8 mission, scheduled for about 2029 and intended to test technologies for a future international lunar research station.
In 2019, China achieved, with Chang’e-4, the first trip on the moon’s hidden face and, in 2024, brought to Earth, through Chang’e-6, the first samples taken in that region, maintaining the goal of sending Chinese astronauts to the Moon before 2030.