Chang'e-7
Chinese lunar south-pole mission with an orbiter, a lander and a flying probe intended to reach a nearby crater, designed to survey water ice, volatiles and other resources; it carries six international instruments. CNSA reported on 19 August 2026 that the probe and a Long March 5 Y14 were transferred to the launch area at Wenchang. On 23 August 2026 CNSA published the China Manned Space Agency statement that the mission did not meet launch conditions and could not launch in that year's planned window. The cited CNSA statement gives no replacement date; the Thai payload partner NARIT separately reported postponement to 2027.
Objective. Survey the south-polar surface environment and the water, ice and volatile content of lunar soil, and detect natural resources beneath the surface.
Facts
- Kind
- Spacecraft
- Mission type
- Prospecting
- Target
- MoonLunar south polar regionSouth polar region, no point: Lunar south pole missions
- Launch
- Not recorded
- Launch vehicle
- Long March 5 Y14
- Phase
- ManifestedCNSA, 2026-08-19: the Chang'e-7 probe and Long March 5 Y14 were transferred to the launch area at Wenchang. CNSA, 2026-08-23: the China Manned Space Agency said the mission did not meet launch conditions and could not launch in that year's planned window. The 19 August line that a launch would be attempted in the coming days was overtaken on 23 August. The cited CNSA statement gives no replacement date. NARIT's own 24 August 2026 release reports postponement to 2027; that is a payload-partner statement, not a revised date in the CNSA notice. Phase 'manifested' means a named vehicle was assigned, not that a new window exists.
- Outcome
- Not applicable
- Why it is included
- Stated resource objective
How this launch date changed
Recorded change: the plan before → the plan after, oldest first.
- 2026-08-19: around 2026 (CNSA, April 2024) → 2026-08 window (vehicle on pad 2026-08-19)Source update [8]
- 2026-08-23: 2026-08 window → unannounced; not in the planned 2026 windowSchedule slip [4]
Only changes recorded here are listed. The oldest date shown may not be the first plan ever announced, and a date with no recorded change may still have moved. A plan is not a launch.
What comes next
No planned launch or landing date is recorded.
Participants
Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| China National Space Administration | Operator |
Resources and evidence
| Resource | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Water ice | Targeted |
| Volatiles | Targeted |
Dated events
- 2026-08-23
Chang'e-7 cannot launch in its planned 2026 window
A China Manned Space Agency statement, published by CNSA on 23 August 2026, said the Chang'e-7 mission did not meet launch conditions and could not be carried out in that year's planned window. The statement gives no reason and no replacement date.
Sources (3) and evidence gaps
China's Chang'e-7 lunar probe does not meet launch conditions, and its launch therefore cannot take place during the planned window this year, the China Manned Space Agency said Sunday.
The assessment was conducted following the principle of prudence, reliability and absolute mission success, the agency said.
据中国载人航天工程办公室消息，本着稳妥可靠、万无一失的原则，经综合研判，嫦娥七号任务不满足发射条件，不能在今年预定窗口实施。
- The CNSA statement gives no cause for the missed launch window.
- The CNSA statement read gives no replacement launch date or window.
Open evidence gaps
- The cited CNSA postponement statement gives no replacement date. NARIT's own 24 August 2026 release says 2027, a payload-partner timing statement rather than a replacement date announced in that CNSA statement.
- The cited CNSA postponement statement gives no reason. NARIT attributes the delay to Typhoon Narra and lighting requirements; this record does not treat the partner's explanation as a CNSA finding.
- The 19 August 2026 CNSA item said a launch would be attempted in the coming days; the 23 August 2026 CNSA item superseded that plan and gave no new date.
Record history
changes to this record's facts, newest first
| Changed | Field | Was | Now | Reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-04 | launch vehicle | Long March 5 | Long March 5 Y14 | Source update | [10] |
| 2026-08-23 | launch date | 2026-08 window | unannounced; not in the planned 2026 window | Schedule slip | [4] |
| 2026-08-19 | launch date | around 2026 (CNSA, April 2024) | 2026-08 window (vehicle on pad 2026-08-19) | Source update | [8] |
Sources
11 excerpts from 9 publicationsOne web address counts as one publication.
The Chang'e-7 mission, scheduled for launch around 2026, aims to survey the lunar surface environment, water, ice and volatile elements of lunar soil in the lunar south pole.
It will also be tasked with detecting the natural resources beneath the south pole's surface.
Wu said Chinese engineers are developing a special craft able to fly from the landing site to a nearby crater to explore for traces of water.
China's Chang'e-7 lunar probe does not meet launch conditions, and its launch therefore cannot take place during the planned window this year, the China Manned Space Agency said Sunday.
The assessment was conducted following the principle of prudence, reliability and absolute mission success, the agency said.
the mission is now expected to take place next year, potentially during one of two windows in spring or mid-summer
the CMSA has not made any official announcement to that effect
were moved to Launch Complex 101 at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province on August 19
据中国载人航天工程办公室消息，本着稳妥可靠、万无一失的原则，经综合研判，嫦娥七号任务不满足发射条件，不能在今年预定窗口实施。
北京时间2026年8月19日，嫦娥七号探测器和长征五号遥十四运载火箭在中国文昌航天发射场完成技术区相关工作，器箭组合体已垂直转运至发射区。
Due to the development of Typhoon Narra in South China sea, the planned launch on 24 August 2026 was delayed to next year. Due to the nature of Chang’e 7 parameters with the goal to land in the Shackleton crater near the Lunar south pole, the particular lighting requirement can no longer be met in the 2026 windows and hence the mission is to be postponed for 2027.
Cite this record
SpaceMiningData, “Chang'e-7”, dataset version a00fa2c68a45, built 2026-11-11, https://spaceminingdata.com/missions/cnsa-change-7.html. Record checked 2026-10-04.