NASA announced on Wednesday the termination of the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) project. This decision was driven by escalating costs and repeated launch delays. The project had already consumed approximately $450 million.
VIPER’s Mission And Objectives
VIPER was part of NASA’s Artemis program and was designed to explore the lunar south pole. Its primary goal was to search for ice and other resources, which are critical for future crewed missions planned later this decade. The rover was expected to pave the way for sustainable human presence on the Moon.
Launch Delays and Rising Costs
Initially slated for a 2023 launch aboard a lander provided by Astrobotic Technology, VIPER’s deployment was delayed to late 2024 to allow for additional preflight testing of the Griffin lander vehicle. This vehicle is supplied by the Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The launch date was further pushed to September 2025, with the mission’s cost projected to increase to $609.6 million.
Project Termination and Future Plans
Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s science mission directorate, indicated that although the rover was “completely assembled,” it had not yet undergone necessary testing to ensure it could withstand launch conditions.
Moving forward, NASA plans to dismantle VIPER and repurpose its instruments and components for future lunar missions. This approach aims to salvage valuable resources and continue advancing NASA’s goals for lunar exploration despite the project’s cancellation.