China delays Chang’e-7 lunar mission amid prudence and reliability concerns
China has postponed its planned Chang’e-7 lunar mission, originally scheduled to launch from Wenchang on Hainan Island, after officials said the launch conditions were not met and the decision was made in the interest of prudence, reliability and absolute mission success. The mission, the seventh in China’s Chang’e program, would have explored permanently shadowed lunar craters for water ice and conducted environmental/resource surveys of the lunar south pole; preparations had proceeded at the Wenchang site before the postponement, following Chang’e-6’s 2024 sample return.