BEIJING, Aug 23, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - China's manned space agency said on Sunday 
it is delaying a research moon mission that is part of Beijing's efforts to 
land a crew there by 2030, less than two weeks after a rare launch failure.

The agency said after a "comprehensive assessment" the mission, which 
involved sending the Chang'e-7 lunar probe on a Long March 5 carrier rocket, 
"does not meet launch conditions and cannot take place during the planned 
window this year".

The decision to delay was "based on the principle of prudence, reliability 
and absolute mission success," it added, without providing further details on 
what conditions weren't met or when the launch would be rescheduled.

The mission -- meant to search for water on the moon's south pole -- was 
scheduled to depart either over the weekend or Monday, according to media 
reports.

Last week, the agency said the probe and carrier rocket had been moved to the 
takeoff area at Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern Hainan province.

As of Wednesday, the takeoff site and equipment were in good condition, with 
inspections to take place and a launch "scheduled for the coming period".

The Chang'e-7 delay comes just under two weeks after media reports showed a 
rocket launched from the Hainan site had exploded, as crowds watched a fiery 
ball in the sky.

The failed mission involved a Long March 7A carrier rocket, which had lifted 
off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, state news agency Xinhua said at the 
time.

An "anomaly" occurred when the rocket carrying the Zhongxing-4B 
communications satellite was in flight, Xinhua added.

The cause of the failure was under investigation, it said.

Beijing has ploughed billions of dollars into its space programme in recent 
years to achieve what President Xi Jinping calls the country's "space dream".

China successfully landed a reusable rocket for the first time in July, 
according to its space agency, marking a major step in its space ambitions 
and in reducing launch costs.

The country is aiming to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030, a race in 
which the United States is also competing with its Artemis programme.