Weather stalls China's ambitious Chang'e 7 moon mission to the south pole

Bad weather from Tropical Depression Narra has delayed China’s Chang'e 7 lunar mission from the Wenchang launch site, with a new liftoff date still unclear and some reports suggesting 2027 (some sources even floated September). Chang'e 7, an orbiter–lander mission with a rover and hopping robot, aims to reach Shackleton Crater near the moon’s south pole to search for water ice and help enable a future lunar outpost, a goal that places China in the ongoing space exploration race.