Chang’e-7 mission launch ruled out this year after delay

China’s historic Chang’e-7 mission to search for water ice near the Moon’s south pole has been delayed and will not take place this year, according to Xinhua news agency.

Xinhua quoted the China Manned Space Agency as saying that the Long March 5 launch vehicle, carrying the Chang’e-7 spacecraft, including an orbiter, lander, rover and hopper, was initially scheduled to lift off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in southern China on August 25.

The agency announced on Sunday that the launch had been postponed following a comprehensive safety and reliability assessment.

Dr Wiphu Rujopakarn, director of Thailand’s National Astronomical Research Institute (NARIT), earlier said that space missions involved high expectations and significant challenges, making it necessary to ensure that all conditions and components were as favourable and ready as possible.

Although a postponement may mean a longer wait, he said it was sometimes necessary to maximise the chances of mission success.

The Long March 5 Y14 rocket is currently stationed at the Wenchang launch site in Hainan with the Chang’e-7 spacecraft aboard.

The spacecraft carries CE-7 MATCH, a scientific instrument designed and developed by Thai scientists and engineers.

NARIT said CE-7 MATCH remains installed on the spacecraft and ready for the mission, and that the postponement will not affect its scientific mission.

The Chang’e-7 mission aims to explore the Moon’s south pole and search for frozen water, particularly in permanently shadowed areas.

It will also conduct scientific investigations of the lunar surface and environment.

CE-7 MATCH is one of the international scientific payloads aboard Chang’e-7. It will measure cosmic radiation and high-energy particles around the Moon, contributing to research into the lunar environment and the challenges posed by radiation to future human exploration.