Latest news with #VolatilesInvestigatingPolarExplorerRover
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Why NASA's VIPER Lunar Rover Is Still in Limbo
The only consistent thing about NASA's VIPER lunar rover is that the road to the moon has been a rocky one. And now the space agency has nixed its attempt to find a commercial partner to launch VIPER moonward, leaving the nearly complete little space vehicle in a continued state of limbo. VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover) was intended to launch this year to explore the lunar south pole in search of buried ice and other chemical compounds. But NASA canceled it in July 2024 after delays led to cost overruns. This is the second time NASA has nixed a lunar rover mission in recent years, says Philip Metzger, a planetary physicist at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In 2018 NASA axed the Resource Prospector rover, which would have done similar exploration. In January NASA raised hopes that VIPER might somehow still see space when it put out a call for proposals for private aerospace companies to launch and operate the rover. On May 7, however, NASA canceled that call for proposals. [Sign up for Today in Science, a free daily newsletter] The agency says it is exploring new strategies for VIPER in the future. 'We look forward to accomplishing future volatiles science with VIPER as we continue NASA's Moon to Mars exploration efforts,' said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, in a recent statement. The rover's budget problems started with supply chain disruptions during the COVID pandemic, says Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at the Planetary Society. It was also slated to launch on a platform built by aerospace company Astrobotic, which failed its first landing of a scaled-down version of that platform The mission was unusually far along when NASA pulled the plug: the rover was fully assembled and was in the final stages of testing for a launch. By that point, NASA had sunk nearly $800 million into its construction and the contract with Astrobotic. It's not clear why NASA has been unable to find a private partner to launch the rover, but such a company would have assumed the costs of the mission and agreed to share the data freely with the space agency. That made for a tough business case for private companies, SpaceNews reported earlier this month. The 2.5-meter-tall rover was designed to search for resources such as water ice, carbon dioxide and helium in the lunar subsurface. The goal, says Clive Neal, a lunar expert at the University of Notre Dame, is to find resources that humans could use to establish a permanent research base on the moon. The data on where such volatiles might be and whether they're accessible and extractable are crucial for the Artemis program's plans for long-term human presence on the moon. The rover carries four instruments: a neutron spectrometer to detect water as deep as a meter below the surface, a near-infrared spectrometer to determine the makeup of samples, a mass spectrometer to analyze gases in the environment at touchdown and a drill called TRIDENT (The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains). The drill is one of VIPER's blockbuster features, designed to pull samples from up to a meter deep. The cancelation of VIPER, after 2018's loss of Resource Prospector, is short-sighted, given NASA's goals, Neal says. 'Is NASA actually serious about getting humans back to the moon?' he says. 'Are they actually serious about enacting our current space policy? Have they actually read it?' VIPER could also answer basic science questions about the origin of the water on the moon, says UCF's Metzger. It may have been part of the lunar core from the moment of its formation, or the water could have arrived with planetary dust or large impactors over time, among other possibilities. 'Understanding those processes is crucial for understanding our solar system,' Metzger says. The answers could reveal more about how common water-rich bodies are in the galaxy and how many planets or moons might host life. That's the big question. Until NASA releases more details on potential future partnership structures, the project remains in a state of suspended animation. 'I don't know what to make of it because there is so little information,' Dreier says. It's possible NASA could reopen negotiations with Astrobotic, the company that was originally going to launch the rover, Neal says. Or, Metzger suggests, the agency might be seeking international partners that could take on some of the operational costs. There are no other U.S. missions on the horizon with the drilling capabilities of VIPER. If the rover doesn't find a way to the moon, Neal says, two other lunar explorers from China could pick up the banner of volatiles science: Chang'e 7 and 8. As uncertain as things are looking for VIPER, though, it's an optimistic sign that NASA hasn't dropped the rover outright, Dreier says, given that the White House has proposed a 50 percent cut to NASA's science programs and a more than 20 percent cut to the agency overall in 2026. 'If it's not openly identified as being canceled,' Dreier says, 'you are winning as a NASA science mission right now.'
Scientific American
15-05-2025
- Science
- Scientific American
Remember VIPER, NASA's Off-Again, On-Again Lunar Rover? It's Still in Limbo
The only consistent thing about NASA's VIPER lunar rover is that the road to the moon has been a rocky one. And now the space agency has nixed its attempt to find a commercial partner to launch VIPER moonward, leaving the nearly complete little space vehicle in a continued state of limbo. VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover) was intended to launch this year to explore the lunar south pole in search of buried ice and other chemical compounds. But NASA canceled it in July 2024 after delays led to cost overruns. This is the second time NASA has nixed a lunar rover mission in recent years, says Philip Metzger, a planetary physicist at the University of Central Florida (UCF). In 2018 NASA axed the Resource Prospector rover, which would have done similar exploration. In January NASA raised hopes that VIPER might somehow still see space when it put out a call for proposals for private aerospace companies to launch and operate the rover. On May 7, however, NASA canceled that call for proposals. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. The agency says it is exploring new strategies for VIPER in the future. 'We look forward to accomplishing future volatiles science with VIPER as we continue NASA's Moon to Mars exploration efforts,' said Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, in a recent statement. Why can't VIPER get off the ground? The rover's budget problems started with supply chain disruptions during the COVID pandemic, says Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at the Planetary Society. It was also slated to launch on a platform built by aerospace company Astrobotic, which failed its first landing of a scaled-down version of that platform The mission was unusually far along when NASA pulled the plug: the rover was fully assembled and was in the final stages of testing for a launch. By that point, NASA had sunk nearly $800 million into its construction and the contract with Astrobotic. It's not clear why NASA has been unable to find a private partner to launch the rover, but such a company would have assumed the costs of the mission and agreed to share the data freely with the space agency. That made for a tough business case for private companies, SpaceNews reported earlier this month. What kind of science was VIPER supposed to do? The 2.5-meter-tall rover was designed to search for resources such as water ice, carbon dioxide and helium in the lunar subsurface. The goal, says Clive Neal, a lunar expert at the University of Notre Dame, is to find resources that humans could use to establish a permanent research base on the moon. The data on where such volatiles might be and whether they're accessible and extractable are crucial for the Artemis program's plans for long-term human presence on the moon. The rover carries four instruments: a neutron spectrometer to detect water as deep as a meter below the surface, a near-infrared spectrometer to determine the makeup of samples, a mass spectrometer to analyze gases in the environment at touchdown and a drill called TRIDENT (The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains). The drill is one of VIPER's blockbuster features, designed to pull samples from up to a meter deep. The cancelation of VIPER, after 2018's loss of Resource Prospector, is short-sighted, given NASA's goals, Neal says. 'Is NASA actually serious about getting humans back to the moon?' he says. 'Are they actually serious about enacting our current space policy? Have they actually read it?' VIPER could also answer basic science questions about the origin of the water on the moon, says UCF's Metzger. It may have been part of the lunar core from the moment of its formation, or the water could have arrived with planetary dust or large impactors over time, among other possibilities. 'Understanding those processes is crucial for understanding our solar system,' Metzger says. The answers could reveal more about how common water-rich bodies are in the galaxy and how many planets or moons might host life. What's next for VIPER? That's the big question. Until NASA releases more details on potential future partnership structures, the project remains in a state of suspended animation. 'I don't know what to make of it because there is so little information,' Dreier says. It's possible NASA could reopen negotiations with Astrobotic, the company that was originally going to launch the rover, Neal says. Or, Metzger suggests, the agency might be seeking international partners that could take on some of the operational costs. There are no other U.S. missions on the horizon with the drilling capabilities of VIPER. If the rover doesn't find a way to the moon, Neal says, two other lunar explorers from China could pick up the banner of volatiles science: Chang'e 7 and 8. As uncertain as things are looking for VIPER, though, it's an optimistic sign that NASA hasn't dropped the rover outright, Dreier says, given that the White House has proposed a 50 percent cut to NASA's science programs and a more than 20 percent cut to the agency overall in 2026. 'If it's not openly identified as being canceled,' Dreier says, 'you are winning as a NASA science mission right now.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What will happen to VIPER? NASA shifts into reverse on canceled moon rover
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It seems NASA's ice-hunting VIPER rover won't be hitching a ride to the moon as a part of a private sector partnership, as the space agency had previously sought. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover (VIPER) has had a rocky, uncertain year. NASA announced its cancellation last summer over budget concerns, then opened a solicitation request for private sector partnerships in an attempt to get VIPER to the moon at no additional cost to the government. On Wednesday (May 7), NASA announced the cancellation of that search, and thanked the companies that submitted proposals. 'We appreciate the efforts of those who proposed to the Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership Announcement for Partnership Proposals call,' NASA's Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Nicky Fox said in the statement. "We look forward to accomplishing future volatiles science with VIPER as we continue NASA's Moon to Mars exploration efforts.' VIPER is designed to hunt for water ice deposits near the moon's south pole — an area of interest to NASA, as it plans to establish a permanent presence there as a part of the Artemis program. VIPER was designed to help assess potentially life-supporting resources ahead of those future crewed installations. Originally, VIPER was slated to land on the lunar surface aboard Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic's Griffin lander, as a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Griffin is expected to launch to the moon later this year, but will now be carrying Astrolab's FLIP moon rover instead. Last July, NASA said that the VIPER cancellation would save the space agency about $84 million in development costs, in addition to its initial $250 million estimation and more than $250 million in projected over costs. Now, with NASA no longer seeking partnerships for VIPER in the private sector, it is unclear how the rover will get to the moon. Related stories: — NASA unveils landing site on the moon for ice-hunting VIPER rover — VIPER back from the dead? NASA asks US companies to partner on ice-hunting moon rover — NASA picks 9 companies to develop Mars 'commercial services' ideas The Trump administration's recently released "skinny budget" proposes to reduce NASA's funding by 24%. More than half of that cut would come from the Science Mission Directorate, painting an unclear future not only for VIPER but a slew of other missions as well. In the meantime, VIPER is fully assembled and ready to launch, save its need for a lander to ferry it to the lunar surface and a rocket to launch it into space. "The agency will announce a new strategy for VIPER in the future," NASA said in Wednesday's statement.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA to seek new ways to send rover to moon's south pole
May 7 (UPI) -- NASA is exploring alternative ways to deliver its VIPER rover to the moon after canceling partnership proposals to land a water-seeking robot on the lunar surface. VIPER, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover, is supposed to study the extreme environment of the moon's south in search of ice and other potential resources. On Wednesday, NASA announced it canceled new partnership proposals to send VIPER to the lunar surface at no government costs. NASA plans to announce a new strategy. On July 17, NASA scrapped its lunar rover project created in partnership with Lockheed Martin and General Motors. A review by NASA showed past cost increases, launch delays and likely future costs growth made the project unsustainable. The rover was originally planned to launch in late 2023 but was delayed to provide more time for the Astrobotic lander. NASA has announced it would disassemble and reuse VIPER's instruments and components for future moon missions. NASA issued a Request for Information on Aug. 9 to seek interest from American companies and institutions in conducting a mission using the agency's VIPER moon rover. They were due March 5 and an announcement was to be made this summer. But on Wednesday, those plans were halted. "We appreciate the efforts of those who proposed to the Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership Announcement for Partnership Proposals call," Nicky Fox, associate administrator for Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., said. "We look forward to accomplishing future volatiles science with VIPER as we continue NASA's Moon to Mars exploration efforts." VIPER is designed to roam the moon with three instruments and a 3.28-foot drill to detect and analyze various lunar soil environments at a range of depths and temperatures. This includes permanently shadowed craters, which scientists say are some of the coldest spots in the solar system of minus-334 Fahrenheit. Resource maps of the moon would support NASA's crewed Artemis missions, including harvesting resources to establish long-term presence on the lunar surface. Griffin had been targeted to land VIPIR on the moon. Astrobotic has a replacement rover to fly on a SpaceX Starship mission with two astronauts on the moon lander. FLIP, which stands for Flex Lunar Innovation Platform, is a robotic four-wheeled vehicle that weighs about 1,000 pounds and and can carry up to 66 pounds of payload. The agency is targeting a 10-day crewed mission around moon in April 2026 with four astronauts. It would be the first time since Apollo 17 landed men on the lunar surface in 1972. The first human moon landing in Artemis III is scheduled for mid-2027. Although NASA has partnered with Space-X for missions, including to the International Space Center, the Space Launch System rocket is being built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman and Orion spacecraft by Lockheed Martin. SpaceX is involved in the development of two vehicles on the moon: the Lunar Surface Access Program and the Lunar Gateway, which is a space station in lunar orbit. In 2022, Artemis I entered lunar orbit with a mannequin.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA to seek new ways to send rover to moon's south pole
May 7 (UPI) -- NASA is exploring alternative ways to deliver its VIPER rover to the moon after canceling partnership proposals to land a water-seeking robot on the lunar surface. VIPER, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover, is supposed to study the extreme environment of the moon's south in search of ice and other potential resources. On Wednesday, NASA announced it canceled new partnership proposals to send VIPER to the lunar surface at no government costs. NASA plans to announce a new strategy. On July 17, NASA scrapped its lunar rover project created in partnership with Lockheed Martin and General Motors. A review by NASA showed past cost increases, launch delays and likely future costs growth made the project unsustainable. The rover was originally planned to launch in late 2023 but was delayed to provide more time for the Astrobotic lander. A NASA image of Nobile Crater on the moon's South Pole, where NASA plans to launch first U.S. robotic lunar rover. Photo courtesy of NASA NASA has announced it would disassemble and reuse VIPER's instruments and components for future moon missions. NASA issued a Request for Information on Aug. 9 to seek interest from American companies and institutions in conducting a mission using the agency's VIPER moon rover. They were due March 5 and an announcement was to be made this summer. An illustration depicts NASA's VIPIR rover preparing to roll off the Griffin lander on the moon. NASA is now studying alternative methods to send VIPIR to the lunar surface. Image courtesy NASA But on Wednesday, those plans were halted. "We appreciate the efforts of those who proposed to the Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership Announcement for Partnership Proposals call," Nicky Fox, associate administrator for Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., said. "We look forward to accomplishing future volatiles science with VIPER as we continue NASA's Moon to Mars exploration efforts." VIPER is designed to roam the moon with three instruments and a 3.28-foot drill to detect and analyze various lunar soil environments at a range of depths and temperatures. This includes permanently shadowed craters, which scientists say are some of the coldest spots in the solar system of minus-334 Fahrenheit. Resource maps of the moon would support NASA's crewed Artemis missions, including harvesting resources to establish long-term presence on the lunar surface. Griffin had been targeted to land VIPIR on the moon. Astrobotic has a replacement rover to fly on a SpaceX Starship mission with two astronauts on the moon lander. FLIP, which stands for Flex Lunar Innovation Platform, is a robotic four-wheeled vehicle that weighs about 1,000 pounds and and can carry up to 66 pounds of payload. The agency is targeting a 10-day crewed mission around moon in April 2026 with four astronauts. It would be the first time since Apollo 17 landed men on the lunar surface in 1972. The first human moon landing in Artemis III is scheduled for mid-2027. Although NASA has partnered with Space-X for missions, including to the International Space Center, the Space Launch System rocket is being built by Boeing and Northrop Grumman and Orion spacecraft by Lockheed Martin. SpaceX is involved in the development of two vehicles on the moon: the Lunar Surface Access Program and the Lunar Gateway, which is a space station in lunar orbit. In 2022, Artemis I entered lunar orbit with a mannequin.
