China abruptly postpones ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission launch

China said Sunday that it was postponing its ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon.

HAIKOU, China — China said Sunday that it was postponing its ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon.

The Chang’e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on China’s southern Hainan island.

The mission does not meet the launch conditions, the Manned Space Agency said in a brief statement, and “cannot take place during the planned window this year.”

Chinese rocket explodes moments after liftoff

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 reasons behind the decision.