NASA Cancels $450 Million VIPER Rover Mission to the Moon
The VIPER project, initially estimated to cost around $450 million, was set to launch in late 2023 but faced several postponements, eventually pushing the launch date to fall 2025.
NASA has decided to cancel its VIPER rover mission, which aimed to search for water on the Moon's far side. The decision was made due to escalating costs and repeated delays.
The VIPER project, initially estimated to cost around $450 million, was set to launch in late 2023 but faced several postponements, eventually pushing the launch date to fall 2025. Supply chain issues and scheduling conflicts contributed to these delays, leading NASA to reconsider the mission's feasibility.
Despite the cancellation of the VIPER rover, NASA will continue its collaboration with Astrobotic, the company responsible for the Griffin lander. The Griffin Mission One, scheduled for no earlier than fall 2025, will proceed without the VIPER rover.
NASA also announced alternative plans to achieve VIPER’s scientific objectives. The upcoming Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1), scheduled to land at the lunar South Pole in late 2024, will search for water ice and conduct a resource utilization demonstration. Additionally, future lunar missions, such as the Lunar Terrain Vehicle designed for crewed missions, will enable mobile observations and sample returns from the Moon's permanently shadowed regions.
While the cancellation of the VIPER rover marks a setback, NASA remains optimistic about its ongoing lunar exploration initiatives. The agency continues to advance its lunar portfolio through missions involving advanced robotics, commercial providers, and international partners, aiming to uncover the Moon's resources and support future human exploration.