NASA awards Astrobotic with $200 million to launch water-hunting rover to moon

On June 12, NASA awarded Pittsburgh-based company Astrobotic with $200 million to launch a rover called VIPER to  moon for a key lunar mission which will hunt for deposits of frozen water. NASA wrote in a press release on its official site that  Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER would land near moon’s south pole in late December 2023. 

NASA’s water-seeking mobile VIPER robot will help pave way for astronaut missions to lunar surface beginning in 2024 and will bring NASA a step closer to developing a sustainable, long-term presence on Moon as part of ncy’s Artemis program, organization revealed in official press release. Furr, it said, VIPER’s flight to Moon would be a part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Paylo Services (CLPS) initiative, which enables industry partners to deliver scientific instruments and techlogy demonstrations to Moon.  

“ VIPER rover and commercial partnership that will deliver it to Moon are a prime example of how scientific community and U.S. industry are making NASA’s lunar exploration vision a reality,” said NASA ministrator Jim Bridenstine. “Commercial partners are changing landscape of exploration, and VIPER is going to be a big boost to our efforts to send first woman and next man to lunar surface in 2024 through Artemis program,” he ded.  

During its 100-Earth-day mission, approximately 1,000-pound VIPER rover will roam several miles and use its four science instruments to sample various soil environments, NASA wrote in official press release.

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Astrobotic, in collaboration with NASA’s initiative, would be responsible to carry out end-to-end services for delivery of VIPER, including integration with its Griffin lander, launched from Earth, and landing on Moon. NASA informed that earlier, in 2021 and 2022, three versions of water-hunting instruments were flown earlier on CLPS lander deliveries to find frozen water under lunar surfaces. Furr NASA said, “rover also will have a drill to bore approximately 3 feet into lunar surface.” 

Moon’s vast scientific potential

NASA’s Associate ministrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen said, “CLPS is a totally creative way to vance lunar exploration.” He stresses that NASA doing something that has never been done before – testing instruments on Moon, as rover is developed. “VIPER and many paylos we will send to lunar surface in next few years are going to help us realize Moon’s vast scientific potential,” he said.  

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(Ims : NASA)