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NASA says it intends to discontinue development of its VIPER moon rover, due to cost increases and schedule delays \u2014 but the agency is also pointing to other opportunities for robotic exploration of the lunar south polar region.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The V<\/u><\/strong>olatiles I<\/u><\/strong>nvestigating P<\/u><\/strong>olar E<\/u><\/strong>xploration R<\/u><\/strong>over was originally scheduled for launch in late 2023, targeting the western edge of Nobile Crater near the moon\u2019s south pole. <\/p>\n The south polar region is a prime target for exploration because it\u2019s thought to hold deposits of water ice that could sustain future lunar settlements. NASA plans to send astronauts to that region by as early as 2026 for the first crewed lunar landing since 1972.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the VIPER project ran into a series of delays, due to snags in the testing and development of the rover as well as the Astrobotic Griffin lander that was to deliver the rover to the lunar surface. The readiness date for VIPER and Griffin was most recently pushed back to September 2025.<\/p>\n During an internal review, NASA managers decided that continuing with VIPER\u2019s development would result in cost increases that could lead to the cancellation or disruption of other moon missions in NASA\u2019s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, or CLPS. NASA notified Congress of its intent to discontinue development.<\/p>\n The budgeted cost for building VIPER was $433.5 million, and the estimated cost of building and launching the Griffin lander is $235.6 million, according to a 2022 report from NASA\u2019s Office of the Inspector General.<\/p>\n \n