This article was AI-generated / Dieser Beitrag wurde KI-generiert. Automatically compiled from the primary sources linked below; not additionally reviewed by an editor.
According to a statement from the lunar program office (CLEP), the Chang’e-7 lunar mission does not currently meet launch conditions and therefore cannot be carried out in the launch window originally announced for this year. The brief notice did not detail the technical reasons but simply cited the unmet prerequisites.
Chang’e-7 is part of the second phase of China’s lunar exploration program. Succeeding Chang’e-6 (which returned samples from the far side of the Moon in 2024), it is designed to explore the lunar south polar region, including searches for water ice in permanently shadowed craters, along with a suite of onboard instruments to analyze the surface environment. The mission is regarded as an important scientific precursor to the planned International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).
When Chang’e-7 can instead launch is still open according to the notice. Chinese lunar missions have slipped multiple times in the past; the program office said it would announce a new date in due course. The destination remains, per current statements, the south polar region of the Moon.