Mission Aborted: Why NASA Pulled the Plug on Its VIPER Moon Rover
NASA announced the discontinuation of its VIPER rover project, citing cost increases and launch delays. The project’s instruments will be repurposed for future lunar missions,…
VIPER News
NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission is an ambitious initiative aimed at mapping and exploring the Moon’s South Pole to understand its water resources. NASA announced its cancellation on July 17, 2024. VIPER was intended to roam across the lunar surface to analyze soil samples in different environments, specifically targeting shadowed regions that might contain frozen water and other potential resources. The primary objective of the mission was to understand the distribution and concentration of water ice, which could be crucial for future lunar exploration missions and potential long-term lunar habitation. By analyzing the availability and accessibility of water ice, VIPER would help determine how future astronauts can utilize these resources for drinking, fuel, and oxygen.
NASA’s VIPER Rover Braces for Ultimate Space Challenge
NASA’s VIPER team is not only building the rover for the Moon’s South Pole but also preparing for its environmental tests. These tests are designed…
How VIPER’s High-Tech Mast Is Transforming Lunar Missions
VIPER Rover’s new mast enhances its capability to explore and study the lunar South Pole, featuring advanced navigation tools and communication antennas essential for its…
Join NASA’s Artemis Mission: Send Your Name to the Moon With VIPER Rover
Join NASA’s VIPER mission by sending your name to the Moon! This public engagement campaign is part of NASA’s wider exploration initiatives, including the Artemis…
Engineering Marvels: NASA’s VIPER Moon Rover Hits Key Milestone
The VIPER Moon rover is halfway built, with key milestones like payload integration and hardware acquisition achieved. The team is addressing design and hardware challenges,…
NASA Begins Building VIPER – Its First Robotic Moon Rover
NASA’s first robotic lunar rover is officially coming together and the team building it is over the Moon. “I’m super excited…it makes me very proud…
NASA’s VIPER Lunar Rover Prototype Motors Through Moon-Like Obstacle Course
NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) prototype recently endured the most realistic tests to date of its ability to drive through the most challenging…
The Webb Space Telescope Reaches Its New Home, Fallen Heroes, and VIPER [Video]
The Webb Space Telescope reaches its new home, remembering our fallen heroes, and testing a VIPER in the sand … a few of the stories…
Testing NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) in the Sand
In the image below, the test version of NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, kicks up high sinkage sand-like material while transiting NASA…
NASA VIPER: Artemis Moon Rover’s Wheels Are Ready To Roll
A flat tire would be the last thing you would need on a trip to the Moon. Luckily, NASA’s water-hunting robot – bound for the…
NASA’s VIPER Moon Rover To Land Near Nobile Crater at the Lunar South Pole
In 2023, NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) will land near the western edge of the Nobile Crater at the Moon’s South Pole to…
NASA to Announce Landing Site on Moon for Artemis Lunar Robotic Rover
NASA will host a media teleconference Monday, September 20, at 4 p.m. EDT, to announce the lunar landing site for the agency’s Volatiles Investigating Polar…
New NASA Moon Maps Help Developers Plan Lunar Road Trip for VIPER’s Artemis Mission
As any seasoned road-tripper knows, to get the most out of an adventure, a good map helps. It’s no different for NASA’s first lunar robotic rover planned for…
Astrobotic Selected by NASA to Fly VIPER Rover to the Moon [Video]
NASA has awarded Astrobotic of Pittsburgh $199.5 million to deliver NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the Moon’s South Pole in late 2023….