NASA has canceled its VIPER moon rover mission due to increasing costs.
The moon rover was scheduled to launch in 2025 aboard Astrobotic’s Griffin moon lander as a part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
NASA’s VIPER, short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, was supposed to land on the moon’s south pole on a 100-day mission.
NASA had estimated a cost of $433.5 million to build the rover, with an additional $235.6 million to launch the vehicle. The agency has already spent $450 million on the development of the VIPER rover, but the project has yet to be completed.
According to NASA, the continuation of VIPER would result in an increased cost that threatens cancellation or disruption of other CLPS missions.
NASA awarded contracts to several US companies to carry scientific instruments through their robotic spacecraft, and NASA named it a CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. NASA has allocated a total of $2.6 billion for the CLPS initiatives.
Through this initiative, NASA wants to access the moon frequently and wants to make a permanent moon base.
“We are committed to studying and exploring the Moon for the benefit of humanity through the CLPS program,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Although the VIPER moon rover mission has been cancelled, Astrobotic will continue its Griffin Mission One under NASA’s CLPS initiative.
The VIPER rover was initially designed to search for ice and other potential resources in the shadowed craters of the lunar south pole.
Currently, NASA plans to disassemble and reuse VIPER’s instruments and components for future Moon missions.
According to NASA, the goals of the VIPER mission will be accomplished by the future CLIP project.
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