China · South Korea · Ars Technica
Due to need for 'absolute success,' China delays critical Moon launch to 2027
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China’s “Manned Space” program issued a terse announcement on Sunday regarding its much-anticipated Chang’e 7 lunar exploration mission.
Key facts
- The large Long March 5 rocket shares an engine, the YF-100, with the Long March 7A vehicle that was lost during ascent two weeks ago
- The delay of Chang’e 7 opens up the possibility that NASA could reach this terrain first, with the initial launch of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 vehicle
- Chang’e 7 is planned to land near one of the most compelling regions of the Moon, Shackleton Crater, nearly at the South Pole
- That is probably ambitious, but Blue Moon could plausibly launch during the first half of 2027, making for a close race with Chang’e 7 if it were to launch in February, and spend three months
Summary
The agency stated: “In keeping with the principle of proceeding prudently and reliably, and ensuring absolute success, after a comprehensive assessment it has been determined that the Chang’e 7 mission does not meet the conditions for launch and therefore cannot be carried out during the planned launch window this year.” The Chinese message offered no explanation for the cause of the delay from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, located on an island in the South China Sea. Most likely, Sunday’s delayed launch was due to Typhoon Narra, which has 45-mph winds (equivalent to a moderate Tropical Storm) and continues to meander around in the waterway separating Hainan island, where the spaceport is located, and mainland China.