NASA has scrapped plans for its first robotic lunar rover.The axe came down after NASA conducted an internal review and decided that the cost of continuing the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) project threatens the “cancellation or disruption” of other projects on the docket. The 1,000-pound VIPER was supposed to study the Moon’s environment to better understand the origin and distribution of lunar water and other resources that could be harvested to sustain humans on the Moon for the Artemis program and future human exploration in deep space. Originally, NASA planned to launch the VIPER near the moon’s south pole, where the rover could explore one of the coldest parts of the Moon while still getting sunshine to recharge its solar-powered batteries. But in 2022, a scheduled November 2023 launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon-Heavy rocket was pushed to late 2024. That’s now been cancelled entirely.NASA plans to disassemble and reuse the instruments on the lunar rover on future missions. It will continue working with Griffin Mission One, the company contracted to launch and land the rover on the moon. NASA says a lunar landing will occur without the VIPER to demonstrate Griffin’s lander and its engines, but not before fall 2025.
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“We are committed to studying and exploring the Moon for the benefit of humanity through the CLPS [Commercial Lunar Payload Services] program,” says Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The agency has an array of missions planned to look for ice and other resources on the Moon over the next five years. Our path forward will make maximum use of the technology and work that went into VIPER, while preserving critical funds to support our robust lunar portfolio.”Some remnants of the VIPER project will likely wind up on the lunar terrain vehicles being designed for the Artemis missions.
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