In the long human reach toward the moon, patience sometimes proves the greater discipline. China's space agency has withdrawn its Chang'e 7 mission from this year's launch calendar after safety assessments determined the spacecraft was not ready, despite the rocket already standing at its tower on Hainan island. The lunar south pole — a destination that offers only one or two launch windows each year — demands a precision that cannot be rushed. The decision to wait rather than risk reflects a wisdom older than spaceflight: the cost of a failed journey far exceeds the cost of a delayed one.