China has postponed the uncrewed Chang’e-7 lunar mission, a research expedition linked to Beijing’s plan to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030. The China Manned Space Agency said after a comprehensive assessment that the Long March-5 rocket mission did not meet launch conditions and could not be launched within its scheduled window this year. The announcement was reported from Beijing on August 24, 2026.

The agency said the delay was based on principles of caution, reliability and ensuring mission success. It did not specify which launch requirements had not been met or announce a new launch date. Chang’e-7 had been intended to search for water at the Moon’s south pole, and media reports had said it could launch over the weekend or on Monday.

The spacecraft and rocket had been moved to the launch pad at Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern Hainan province. The postponement came less than two weeks after a Long March-7A rocket carrying a Zhongxing-4B communications satellite experienced an abnormality during flight and exploded. Authorities said the cause of that failure was under investigation.