China's Chang'e-7 Moon mission launch postponed due to bad weather

The mission had been rolled out to the launch pad atop a Long March 5 rocket on August 19, with liftoff originally targeted for no earlier than August 24.

In Short

• Chang’e-7 lunar mission delayed by a month due to bad weather at Wenchang site
• Tropical Depression Narra causing launch difficulties, blocking August launch window
• Spacecraft and rocket moved back for protection and extra inspections

China’s ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission, designed to search for water ice at the Moon’s south pole, has been postponed by about a month due to unfavourable weather conditions around the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the island of Hainan.

The mission had been rolled out to the launch pad atop a Long March 5 rocket on August 19, with liftoff originally targeted for no earlier than August 24.

Reportedly, Chinese officials informed international partners near the launch site on August 23 that the launch window would be missed and the mission would now move into September.

The delay is linked to Tropical Depression Narra, which has been developing over the Gulf of Tonkin and is moving towards Hainan before tracking north towards Guangxi and Guangdong provinces.

The storm has made launch operations from Wenchang increasingly difficult, with no launches expected from the site before the current lunar launch window closes on August 25.

The Chang’e-7 spacecraft and its Long March 5 rocket are expected to be moved back from Launch Complex 101 to the vehicle assembly building.

This will provide greater protection from the weather and allow engineers to conduct additional inspections before the next launch attempt.

But weather is not the only constraint.

Chang’e-7 faces an unusually narrow launch window because it is targeting a landing site near the Moon’s south pole, close to the permanently illuminated regions around Shackleton Crater.

Unlike previous Chang’e missions, which targeted lower-latitude landing sites, Chang’e-7 must follow a carefully calculated trajectory that allows the spacecraft to efficiently enter lunar orbit and approach its polar destination.

From Wenchang, suitable trajectories are available only for roughly a week at a time, although the Long March 5’s performance provides some flexibility in extending individual daily launch opportunities.

The mission is a major step in China’s lunar exploration programme.

Chang’e-7 will study the lunar south pole, investigate the distribution and origin of water ice and examine the extreme environment of one of the least explored regions of the Moon.

The mission is expected to lay important groundwork for China’s longer-term plans for sustained lunar exploration and a future lunar research station.

With the launch now pushed into September, scientists and engineers will have additional time to prepare for one of China’s most ambitious Moon missions yet.

- Ends