NASA chooses Blue Origin to transport the previously halted VIPER rover to the moon
NASA has chosen Blue Origin to transport the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the lunar surface. The goal of VIPER is to locate volatiles, particularly frozen water, in support of NASA's Artemis missions.
The contract awarded to Blue Origin by NASA is worth up to $190 million. This is Blue Origin's second CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) contract. The task order requires the company to design its lander to accommodate VIPER specifically and demonstrate offloading the rover onto the lunar surface.
VIPER is headed for the moon's south pole and will be mapping resources for potential mining, including ice. The rover will be the first to explore inside dark craters that never see the sun, equipped with headlights to navigate the unknown terrain.
The VIPER rover will have a 100-day mission across 12 miles that will take it through three lunar day and night cycles. Its design allows it to roll and crawl at a top speed of .5 mph over unknown terrain.
VIPER has a 1-meter drill and three measurement instruments to detect the distribution, physical state, and composition of the ice deposits. The data collected by VIPER could show where ice is most likely to be found and easiest to access, as a future resource for humans.
NASA will rely on Blue Origin to provide the ride, handle payload integration, manage planning and support, provide communication, and handle deployment, while NASA will manage the rover once it's out of the lander. Communicating with the VIPER rover will be easier and more real-time than Mars missions.
The person who designated Blue Origin as the transporter for VIPER is not explicitly named in the available search results. The plan is to launch the VIPER rover in late 2027, after Blue Origin completes its first MK1 lander mission for NASA.
The data collected by VIPER could provide valuable insight into the distribution and origin of volatiles across the solar system, helping us better understand the processes that have shaped our space environment and how our inner solar system has evolved. The data will also be collected for future lunar and Mars exploration efforts by NASA.
The VIPER rover will need to withstand a 500-degree Fahrenheit temperature swing between sunlight and shade on the lunar surface. The rover's findings could pave the way for future human exploration and resource utilisation on the moon.
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