China postpones Chang'e-7 lunar mission

China planned Chang'e-7, its most complex lunar mission, to search for water ice near the Moon's south pole

China said on Sunday it ​has postponed its Chang'e-7 ‌lunar mission after a "comprehensive assessment", according to state-run ​Xinhua news agency.

The ​uncrewed Chang'e-7 mission "does not meet ⁠the conditions for ​launch and therefore cannot ​be carried out within the launch window scheduled for this ​year", Xinhua said, ​citing authorities.

Before Sunday's announcement, the ‌Chang'e-7 ⁠spacecraft, had ​been expected ​to ⁠be launched as early as ​next week.

The spacecraft was ​expected ⁠to search for frozen water near the ⁠moon's ​south pole.

Earlier, China announced to send Chang'e-7, its most technologically complex lunar mission to date, in its search for frozen stores of water in permanently shadowed craters near the moon's south pole.

The uncrewed mission, named after a mythical Chinese goddess of the moon, designed the deployment of a robotic lander, rover, and "hopping" probe to one of the coldest places in the solar system.

It will represent a major step towards Beijing's long-term goal of building a permanent human presence on the moon, with plans underway for a crewed lunar landing before 2030 and the setting up of a joint research station with Russia by 2035.