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Following a comprehensive internal review, NASA announced Wednesday its intent to discontinue development of its VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) project.<\/p>\n
NASA stated cost increases, delays to the launch date, and the risks of future cost growth as the reasons to stand down on the mission. The rover was originally planned to launch in late 2023, but in 2022, NASA requested a launch delay to late 2024 to provide more time for preflight testing of the Astrobotic lander. Since that time, additional schedule and supply chain delays pushed VIPER\u2019s readiness date to September 2025, and independently its CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) launch aboard Astrobotic\u2019s Griffin lander also has been delayed to a similar time. Continuation of VIPER would result in an increased cost that threatens cancellation or disruption to other CLPS missions. NASA has notified Congress of the agency\u2019s intent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are committed to studying and exploring the Moon for the benefit of humanity through the CLPS program,\u201d said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moving forward, NASA is planning to disassemble and reuse VIPER\u2019s instruments and components for future Moon missions. Prior to disassembly, NASA will consider expressions of interest from U.S. industry and international partners by Thursday, Aug. 1, for use of the existing VIPER rover system at no cost to the government.\u00a0Interested parties should contact HQ-CLPS-Payload@mail.nasa.gov after 10 a.m. EDT on Thursday, July 18. The project will conduct an orderly close out through spring 2025.<\/p>\n
Astrobotic will continue its Griffin Mission One within its contract with NASA, working toward a launch scheduled for no earlier than fall 2025. The landing without VIPER will provide a flight demonstration of the Griffin lander and its engines.<\/p>\n
NASA will pursue alternative methods to accomplish many of VIPER\u2019s goals and verify the presence of ice at the lunar South Pole. A future CLPS delivery \u2013 <\/strong>the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) \u2014 scheduled to land at the South Pole during the fourth quarter of 2024, will search for water ice and carry out a resource utilization demonstration using a drill and mass spectrometer to measure the volatile content of subsurface materials.<\/p>\n Additionally, future instruments as part of NASA\u2019s crewed missions \u2013 for example, the Lunar Terrain Vehicle \u2014 will allow for mobile observations of volatiles across the south polar region, as well as provide access for astronauts to the Moon\u2019s permanently shadowed regions for dedicated sample return campaigns. The agency will also use copies of three of VIPER\u2019s four instruments for future Moon landings on separate flights.<\/p>\n The VIPER rover was designed to search Earth\u2019s Moon for ice and other potential resources \u2013 in support of NASA\u2019s commitment to study the Moon and help unravel some of the greatest mysteries of our solar system. Through NASA\u2019s lunar initiatives, including Artemis human missions and CLPS, NASA is exploring more of the Moon than ever before using highly trained astronauts, advanced robotics, U.S. commercial providers, and international partners.<\/p>\n For more information about VIPER, visit:<\/p>\n