NASA Plans to Sell VIPER Moon Rover

After facing cost increases, delays, and potential future expenses, the US space agency NASA has made the decision to halt the development of its Lunar VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) project. The agency is now exploring the possibility of selling the technology to interested parties.

The VIPER project, which aimed to send a solar-powered rover to the Moon to investigate polar regions, encountered setbacks that led to the decision to discontinue its development. Originally slated for a late 2023 launch, the project faced delays that pushed the readiness date to September 2025.

NASA plans to repurpose VIPER's instruments and components for future Moon missions, ensuring that the technology developed for the project will not go to waste. However, the agency is also open to interest from US industry and international partners who may wish to utilize the existing VIPER rover system.

The rover hardware was crafted by NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, with instruments provided by Ames, Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, and commercial partner Honeybee Robotics in Altadena, California. The decision to discontinue the VIPER project aligns with NASA's strategy to optimize resources for upcoming lunar missions.

"The agency has an array of missions planned to look for ice and other resources on the Moon over the next five years. Our path forward will make maximum use of the technology and work that went into VIPER, while preserving critical funds to support our robust lunar portfolio," said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.