Chinese officials said the mission, the seventh in the Chang’e moon exploration program, does not meet the launch conditions and “cannot take place during the planned window this year.”

China said Sunday that it was postponing its ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon.

The Chang’e-7 spacecraft was originally set to lift off in the coming days from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on China’s southern Hainan island.

The mission does not meet the launch conditions, the Manned Space Agency said in a brief statement, and “cannot take place during the planned window this year.”