China Calls Off Lunar Mission Launch

China said on Sunday it was postponing its ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission, which was to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon. The Chang'e-7 spacecraft was scheduled to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on China's southern Hainan island, the AP reports. But the mission does not meet launch conditions, said the China Manned Space Agency in a brief statement, and "cannot take place during the planned window this year."

The decision was made following a "comprehensive assessment," the agency added, and was based on the principles of "prudence, reliability and absolute mission success." It did not elaborate on the factors behind the decision. Preparations have been carried out at the Wenchang launch site for the Chang'e-7 mission over the past weeks, the seventh in the Chang'e moon exploration program. It was to explore permanently shadowed craters on the moon and conduct environmental and resource surveys of the lunar south pole, the official Xinhua news agency reported. "Chang'e" refers to a Chinese moon goddess.