NASA has decided to halt the development of its Viper rover, which was set to explore the Moon’s south pole for water, due to escalating costs. The project, which has already consumed $450 million, was originally budgeted at just over $430 million. Delays pushed the potential launch to 2025, increasing the total cost to over $600 million.
The Decision to Cancel
Nicola Fox, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Science, described the decision as “very difficult.” Despite the rover being assembled, NASA is now seeking industrial or international partners to utilize the Viper. If no partners emerge, the agency plans to dismantle the rover and salvage its components, such as instruments, batteries, and solar panels.
Impact on Future Missions
The rover was supposed to launch aboard the Griffin lander, constructed by the American startup Astrobotic. Astrobotic’s first lunar mission earlier this year was unsuccessful, but their second mission is still on track. NASA will provide a non-scientific payload of similar mass to the rover to ensure the mission proceeds without additional delays. Astrobotic aims for a third-quarter 2025 launch.
Continuing the Mission’s Objectives
NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program, which includes Astrobotic, aims to deliver equipment and technology to the Moon to study its environment ahead of human return missions. Water found on the Moon could be used for future missions. Although the Viper rover will not fly, three of its instruments will be included in other missions. Intuitive Machines’ upcoming mission, IM-2, will also target the lunar south pole and drill into the Moon’s surface.
Future Prospects
NASA remains optimistic about achieving Viper’s initial scientific goals. Joel Kearns, a senior NASA official, indicated that future rovers designed to transport astronauts could explore permanently shadowed lunar regions, which are more likely to contain water, by the end of the decade.
Despite the setback, NASA continues to focus on its lunar exploration objectives, ensuring that the scientific goals of the Viper mission will be met in other ways.
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