Moon mission delay a hiccup, but Chinese rocket city Wenchang remains on the march

For generations, Wenchang, on Hainan’s northeastern coast, was better known for coconuts, its namesake chicken and the emigrants who left for Southeast Asia in search of a living.

Now the rhythms of life here have been altered, gradually and then all at once, by China’s space programme.

Wenchang Space Launch Site staged its first launch in 2016. Since then it has become one of the country’s top name-cards for rocket launches.

The Long March 5 Y14 rocket meant to carry the Chang’e-7 had been scheduled to lift off on Monday morning, but the launch was postponed after safety and reliability checks.

The frustration eased slightly when the rocket came back into view. At around 4pm that day, the rocket began its slow return from the launch pad to the vertical assembly building. It moved at a crawl pace.