NASA has announced its intent to cancel the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, project, whose goal was to search for ice and other potential resources on the lunar surface in support of exploration missions there.
The space agency said Wednesday that VIPER was supposed to launch in 2023 but a need to do further testing with the lander that was to carry the rover to the moon’s surface pushed the date to 2024 and subsequent supply chain issues caused a further delay to 2025.
An internal review showed that the project not only suffered from launch delays but also cost increases, and was at risk of incurring further cost growth, which could impact other missions.
NASA plans to disassemble VIPER and use its parts for other moon missions but first intends to open the rover system up for use by industry and international partners. Interested parties have until Aug. 1 to reach out to the government regarding the opportunity.
The space agency will also work to achieve VIPER’s mission goals via alternative methods.