NASA has announced that following a “comprehensive internal review” it has decided to pull the plug on its VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) Moon rover project.
The Viper moon rover was scheduled to be ready for a launch in September 2025, on a mission to land around the Moon’s South Pole where it would search for ice and other potential resources.
On July 17, 2024, NASA confirmed that the project was cancelled, citing “cost increases, delays to the launch date, and the risks of future cost growth”.
Beset with delays, VIPER was originally due to travel to the Moon aboard an Astrobotic Griffin lander in 2022, but this was rescheduled to late 2024, before eventually settling on 2025.
The mission was part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) launch which delivers science and technology to the lunar surface on behalf of companies.
NASA said that the continuation of VIPER would result in an “increased cost that threatens cancellation or disruption to other CLPS missions”.
“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. “The agency has an array of…
Source www.aerotime.aero
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