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August 23rd, 2026“China’s Chang’e-7 launch will not proceed in planned window this year” – that’s the word from China Central Television.
While not cancelled, the Moon probe atop a Long March 5 booster liftoff has been delayed due to an apparent confluence of issues at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan.
But there is no official word as yet on a new launch window – later this August, perhaps September or next year?
Re-calibrated sendoff
Whatever the case, it looks as if a tight launch window, a blossoming and troublesome Tropical Depression Narra, the need to have the lunar lander touch down precisely at an illuminated site near Shackleton Crater, as well as proper positioning of a Chinese lunar relay satellite to handle telecommunications between Earth and spacecraft – all have conspired to re-calibrate the sendoff of Chang’e-7.
Due to the delay, the Moon-bound spacecraft and Long March 5 booster vehicle will be rolled back to a vehicle assembly building at the Wenchang Space Launch Site.
Prudence…absolute safety
So the word posted on the China Manned Space Engineering Website explains:
“Based on the principles of prudence, reliability, and absolute safety, and after comprehensive assessment, the Chang’e-7 mission does not meet the launch requirements and cannot be carried out within the scheduled launch window this year.”
‘It is my understanding that due to impending weather (tropical storm in the Gulf of Tonkin off Hainan Island), the launch of Chang’e 7 has been postponed beyond this week. Launch rescheduling is a complex algorithm for orbital study of the landing site with the optimal in-orbit time and also optimizing the landing illumination conditions. Apparently it will get rolled back from the pad for the weather duration.”
‘It is my understanding that due to impending weather (tropical storm in the Gulf of Tonkin off Hainan Island), the launch of Chang’e 7 has been postponed beyond this week. Launch rescheduling is a complex algorithm for orbital study of the landing site with the optimal in-orbit time and also optimizing the landing illumination conditions. Apparently it will get rolled back from the pad for the weather duration.”
For a detailed look at the challenging Chang’e-7 mission, go to my new Space.com story focused on this mission at:
Posted in Space News
