There is still VIPER, the most advanced lunar rover built to search for water ice at the moon’s south pole, in storage at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. However, instead of exploring lunar craters, a four-hundred-million-dollar robot assembled and ready to travel is waiting for its chance for the second year in a row. What went wrong, and will VIPER see space?
VIPER’s chain of failures
VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) was supposed to be the key to answering one of astronomy’s biggest questions: how much water ice is stored in eternally shadowed craters. These reserves could be a source of water, oxygen and fuel for future colonies. Developed with a $450 million budget, the rover is equipped with a drilling rig and spectrometers for soil analysis.
The launch was originally planned for 2023, but due to supply chain and technical difficulties, the date was postponed twice – first to 2024, then to 2025. NASA abruptly canceled the mission in July 2023, citing risk to other commercial projects within the Artemis program.
Controversial decisions
The agency first announced it was dismantling VIPER to use the components for other missions. This caused a wave of outrage among scientists. “It’s like taking apart a Ferrari that has never been tested on a track,” commented one expert.
Under pressure, NASA changed tactics, inviting private companies to salvage the mission. Last week, however, the agency canceled that call for proposals without explanation.
According to NASA’s Nicky Fox, the agency is “exploring alternatives.” Experts suggest several scenarios:
- Integrate VIPER into future missions, such as Artemis III in 2026.
- Transfer of the project to private partners on co-financing terms.
- Utilizing rover technology in new developments.
Rover’s uncertain fate
VIPER is not just a technical experiment. Its data could change the rules of the game in lunar expansion, from landing site selection to resource extraction strategy. As planetary physicist Philip Metzger noted, “Without maps of water deposits, we are going to the Moon virtually blindfolded.”
So far, the fate of the unique rover remains uncertain. But the scientific community does not lose hope. “VIPER has already done more than some missions – it has shown how unprepared we are to colonize the Moon,” ironically noted one of the project’s engineers.
Interesting fact: 98% of VIPER parts can be used for other missions.
Earlier we reported on how NASA invited everyone to send a name to Earth’s moon.
According to NASA
