VIPER (rover)

File:VIPER assembled when canceled.webp

Amidst cost growth and delays to readiness of the rover and the Griffin lander, the VIPER program was ended in July 2024, with the rover planned to be disassembled and its instruments and components reused for other lunar missions. Before commencing disassembly, NASA announced they would consider "expressions of interest" from industry to use the "VIPER rover system at no cost to the government."{{Cite web |title=NASA Ends VIPER Project, Continues Moon Exploration - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-ends-viper-project-continues-moon-exploration/ |access-date=2024-07-17 |language=en-US}} At the time of the announcement NASA expected to save $84 million by canceling the mission, which has cost $450 million so far.{{Cite web |last=Tingley |first=Brett |date=2024-07-17 |title=NASA cancels $450 million VIPER moon rover due to budget concerns |url=https://www.space.com/nasa-cancels-viper-moon-rover-budget |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240717234748/https://www.space.com/nasa-cancels-viper-moon-rover-budget |archive-date=2024-07-17 |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=Space.com |language=en}} The budgeted cost to build VIPER was $433.5 million, with $235.6 million budgeted to launch the lander.{{Cite web |last=Boyle |first=Alan |date=2024-07-17 |title=NASA Stops Work on VIPER Moon Rover, Citing Cost and Schedule Issues |url=https://www.universetoday.com/167805/nasa-stops-work-on-viper-moon-rover/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240717235335/https://www.universetoday.com/167805/nasa-stops-work-on-viper-moon-rover/ |archive-date=2024-07-17 |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=Universe Today |language=en-US}} The agency still plans to support the Griffin lander to arrive on the Moon in fall of 2025, though with a mass simulator in place of the VIPER rover.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd2ES2H6UQc |title=Exploration Science Program Update (July 17, 2024) |date=2024-07-17 |last=NASA Video |type=Press Conference |language=en |access-date=2024-07-18 |via=YouTube}} NASA expects the primary objectives of VIPER to be fulfilled by an array of other missions planned for the next several years, but these may eventually become overshadowed and forgotten over time.

VIPER's abrupt cancellation was received poorly by the scientific community. At the time of its cancellation, VIPER had been fully assembled and completed vibration testing.{{Cite web |last=Greshko |first=Michael |title=NASA May Spend $800 Million to Not Send This Revolutionary Rover to the Moon |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-cancels-its-viper-moon-rover/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Scientific American |language=en}} In response, a letter opposing the cancellation was circulated and garnered over 2500 signatures by the end of July 2024.{{Cite web |last=Sykes |first=Mark |date= |title=PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER Volume 18, Number 31 |url=https://planetarynews.org/archive24/pen_v18_n31_240728.txt |access-date=}} In August 2024, The Planetary Society published a statement calling for the program to be reconsidered.{{Cite web |title=The Planetary Society's Statement on VIPER's Path Forward |url=https://www.planetary.org/press-releases/statement-viper-path-forward |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=The Planetary Society |language=en}} On September 6th 2024, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology published a letter requesting additional information as to why NASA cancelled the mission. {{Cite web |date=2024-09-06 |title=Science Committee Leaders Seek Answers Regarding the Cancellation of NASA's VIPER Project |url=https://science.house.gov/press-releases?ID=1DA1E494-9EC1-4B20-AD46-4C8719B749C7 |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=House Committee on Science Space & Tech - Republicans |language=en}}

In February 2025, NASA announced a new approach to potentially revive the VIPER mission through an industry partnership. The agency released an Announcement for Partnership Proposal seeking U.S. companies to deliver and operate the completed VIPER rover on the Moon. Under the proposed partnership, NASA would provide the already-built VIPER rover while the selected company would be responsible for the launch, landing, and surface operations, including data collection and dissemination, as well as all mission costs.{{cite web |url=https://spacenews.com/nasa-requests-industry-proposals-for-viper-lunar-rover-partnership/ |title=NASA requests industry proposals for VIPER lunar rover partnership |author=Jeff Foust |publisher=SpaceNews |date=2025-02-04 |access-date=2025-02-22}}

With the potential cuts from the second Donald Trump administration looming, the future of VIPER remains unclear. It is possible that the VIPER mission could be scrapped, and the team behind it face dismissal, and the VIPER name to be reused in unrelated contexts.

File:Viper-ACD20-0047.jpg

File:Water Detected at High Latitudes on the Moon.jpg instrument on India's Chandrayaan-1 orbiter. Blue shows the spectral signature of hydroxide, green shows the brightness of the surface as measured by reflected infrared radiation from the Sun and red shows a mineral called pyroxene.]]

File:The image shows the distribution of surface ice at the Moon's south pole (left) and north pole (right).webp

The VIPER rover has a size similar to a golf cart (around 1.4 × 1.4 × 2 m), and would have been tasked with prospecting for lunar resources, especially for water ice, mapping its distribution, and measuring its depth and purity.{{cite web |last=Coldewey |first=Devin |date=25 October 2019 |title=NASA's VIPER lunar rover will hunt water on the Moon in 2022 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/25/nasas-viper-lunar-rover-will-hunt-water-on-the-moon-in-2022 |website=TechCrunch |quote=VIPER is a limited-time mission; operating at the poles means there's no sunlight to harvest with solar panels, so the rover will carry all the power it needs to last 100 days there.}} The water distribution and form must be better understood before it can be evaluated as a potential resource within any evolvable lunar or Mars campaign.

File:Proposed landing site of VIPER.gif

The VIPER rover was to operate on the western edge of Nobile crater on Mons Mouton in the Moon's south pole region.{{cite web | last1=Wright | first1=Ernie | last2=Ladd | first2=David | last3=Colaprete | first3=Anthony | last4=Ladd | first4=David | title=NASA Scientific Visualization Studio | website=SVS | date=2021-09-20 | url=https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4937 | access-date=2023-10-27}}{{cite web|title=NASA's Artemis Rover to Land Near Nobile Region of Moon's South Pole|date=20 September 2021 |url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-artemis-rover-to-land-near-nobile-region-of-moon-s-south-pole|publisher=NASA|access-date=20 September 2021}} {{PD-notice}} The first ever rover with its own lighting source,{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-replans-clps-delivery-of-viper-to-2024-to-reduce-risk |title=NASA Replans CLPS Delivery of VIPER to 2024 to Reduce Risk |work=NASA |date=18 July 2022 |access-date=18 July 2022 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240717200609/https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-ends-viper-project-continues-moon-exploration/ |archive-date=2024-07-17 |url-status=live}} it was planned to rove several kilometers, collecting data on different kinds of soil environments affected by light and temperature—those in complete darkness, occasional light and in constant sunlight.{{cite web |url=https://phys.org/news/2019-10-viper-lunar-rover-ice-moon.html |title=New VIPER lunar rover to map water ice on the moon |first1=Grey |last1=Hautaluoma |first2=Alana |last2=Johnson |website=PhysOrg |date=28 October 2019}} In permanently shadowed locations, it would operate on battery power alone and would not be able to recharge them until it drives to a sunlit area. Its total operation time was planned to be 100 Earth days.{{cite web|last=Bartels|first=Meghan|url=https://www.space.com/nasa-viper-moon-rover-launching-in-2022.html|title=NASA Will Launch a Lunar VIPER to Hunt Moon Water in 2022 |publisher=Space.com|date=25 October 2019|access-date=13 April 2021}}

The VIPER rover was part of the Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program managed by the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, and was meant to support the crewed Artemis program. NASA's Ames Research Center was managing the rover project. The hardware for the rover was designed by the Johnson Space Center, while the instruments were provided by Ames, Kennedy, and Honeybee Robotics. The project manager was Daniel Andrews,{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2019/10/26/nasa-viper-rover/ |title=NASA's VIPER rover will look for water ice on the Moon |first=Mariella |last=Moon |website=ENGADGET |date=26 October 2019}} and the project scientist was Anthony Colaprete, who was implementing the technology developed for the now cancelled Resource Prospector rover.{{cite web |url=https://spacenews.com/nasa-confirms-plans-to-send-prospecting-rover-to-the-moon/ |title=NASA confirms plans to send prospecting rover to the moon |first=Jeff |last=Foust |website=SpaceNews |date=27 October 2019}} The estimated cost of the mission was US$250 million in October 2019. NASA said on 3 March 2021 that the new lifecycle cost for the mission was US$433.5 million.{{cite web|url=https://spacenews.com/viper-lunar-rover-mission-cost-increases/|title=VIPER lunar rover mission cost increases|publisher=SpaceNews |date=3 March 2021|access-date=5 March 2021}}

Both the launcher and the lander were competitively provided through Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contractors, with Astrobotic providing the Griffin lander to deliver the rover, and SpaceX providing the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle.{{cite web|last=Foust|first=Jeff|url=https://spacenews.com/astrobotic-selects-falcon-heavy-to-launch-nasas-viper-lunar-rover/|title=Astrobotic selects Falcon Heavy to launch NASA's VIPER lunar rover|publisher=SpaceNews|date=13 April 2021|access-date=13 April 2021}} NASA was aiming to land the rover in September 2025 until the mission was canceled on 17 July 2024.{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Rainier |title=NASA Cancels Rover Mission Set to Search for Ice on Moon |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-17/nasa-cancels-rover-mission-set-to-search-for-ice-on-moon?srnd=homepage-americas |access-date=18 July 2024 |work=Bloomberg.com |date=17 July 2024 |language=en}}

In February 2024 the final instrument, the TRIDENT drill, was installed into the rover.{{cite web |url=https://www.moondaily.com/reports/TRIDENT_Drill_Integrated_into_NASAs_VIPER_Rover_Completing_its_Scientific_Arsenal_999.html |title=TRIDENT Drill Integrated into NASA's VIPER Rover, Completing its Scientific Arsenal |date=Feb 2024}} Later on 28 February 2024, VIPER Project Manager Dan Andrews announced that all the rover's scientific instruments were installed, and that it was more than 80% built.{{Cite web |first=Robert |last=Lea |date=2024-03-03 |title=NASA's ice-hunting VIPER moon rover getting ready to slither to the launch pad |url=https://www.space.com/nasa-viper-moon-rover-flight-instruments-installed |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=Space.com |language=en}} Further progress was reported in April 2024, remaining on track for launch later in the year.{{Cite web |title=NASA's VIPER Gets Its Head and Neck – NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasas-viper-gets-its-head-and-neck/ |access-date=2024-04-18 |language=en-US}} The rover moved to the environmental testing phase in May.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-14 |title=Mission Manager Update: VIPER Rover Approved to Move into Environmental Testing! - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/missions/viper/mission-manager-update-viper-rover-approved-to-move-into-environmental-testing/ |access-date=2024-05-15 |language=en-US}}

{{main|Lunar water|Lunar resources}}

Data obtained by Lunar Prospector, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Chandrayaan-1, and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, revealed that lunar water is present in the form of ice near the lunar poles, especially within permanently shadowed craters in the south pole region,{{cite web |url=https://sservi.nasa.gov/articles/nasa-looking-to-mine-water-on-the-moon-and-mars/ |title=NASA Looking to Mine Water on the Moon and Mars |website= Soderman NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute}}{{PD-notice}} and present in the form of hydrated minerals in other high-latitude locations.{{cite journal|last1=Pieters|first1=C. M. |last2=Goswami|first2=J. N.|last3=Clark|first3=R. N.|last4=Annadurai|first4=M.|last5=Boardman|first5=J.|last6=Buratti|first6=B.|last7=Combe|first7=J.-P.|last8=Dyar|first8=M. D.|last9=Green|first9=R.|last10=Head |first10=J. W.|last11=Hibbitts|first11=C.|last12=Hicks|first12=M.|last13=Isaacson|first13=P.|last14=Klima|first14=R.|last15=Kramer|first15=G.|last16=Kumar|first16=S.|last17=Livo|first17=E.|last18=Lundeen

|first18=S.|last19=Malaret|first19=E.|last20=McCord|first20=T.|last21=Mustard|first21=J.|last22=Nettles|first22=J.|last23=Petro|first23=N.|last24=Runyon|first24=C.|last25=Staid|first25=M.|last26=Sunshine

|first26=J.|last27=Taylor|last28=Tompkins|first28=S.|first29=P.|last29=Varanasi|first27=L. A.|doi=10.1126/science.1178658|title=Character and Spatial Distribution of OH/H2O on the Surface of the Moon Seen by M3 on Chandrayaan-1|journal=Science|volume=326|issue=5952|pages=568–572|year=2009|pmid=19779151|bibcode=2009Sci...326..568P|s2cid=447133 |doi-access=free}} {{PD-notice}}

Water may have been delivered to the Moon over geological timescales by the regular bombardment of water-bearing comets, asteroids and meteoroids,{{cite journal | last=Elston | first=D. P. | title=Character and Geologic Habitat of Potential Deposits of Water, Carbon and Rare Gases on the Moon | journal=Geological Problems in Lunar and Planetary Research | date=1971 | url=https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1971gplp.conf..441E/abstract |page=441| bibcode=1971gplp.conf..441E }} or continuously produced in situ by the hydrogen ions (protons) of the solar wind impacting oxygen-bearing minerals.{{cite web|url=http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/project/faq.htm#18|title=NASA – Lunar Prospector|publisher=lunar.arc.nasa.gov|access-date=2015-05-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914115221/http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/project/faq.htm#18|archive-date=2016-09-14}} {{PD-notice}} The physical form of the water ice is unknown, but some studies suggest that it is unlikely to be present in the form of thick, pure ice deposits, and may be a thin coating on soil grains.{{cite journal |last1=Jozwiak |first1=L. M. |last2=Patterson |first2=G. W. |last3=Perkins |first3=R. |date=2019 |title=Mini-RF Monostatic Radar Observations of Permanently Shadowed Crater Floors |url=https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019LPICo2152.5079J/abstract |journal=Lunar ISRU 2019 – Developing a New Space Economy Through Lunar Resources and Their Utilization |volume=2152 |page=5079 |bibcode=2019LPICo2152.5079J |issn=0161-5297}}{{cite journal|title=The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Miniature Radio Frequency (Mini-RF) Technology Demonstration|last1=Nozette|first1=Stewart|last2=Spudis|first2=Paul|last3=Bussey|first3=Ben|last4=Jensen|first4=Robert|last5=Raney|first5=Keith|journal=Space Science Reviews |date=January 2010|volume=150|issue=1–4|pages=285–302|bibcode=2010SSRv..150..285N|doi=10.1007/s11214-009-9607-5|s2cid=54041415 }}{{cite journal |last1=Neish |first1=C. D. |last2=Bussey |first2=D. B. J. |last3=Spudis |first3=P. |last4=Marshall |first4=W. |last5=Thomson |first5=B. J. |last6=Patterson |first6=G. W. |last7=Carter |first7=L. M. |date=13 January 2011 |title=The nature of lunar volatiles as revealed by Mini-RF observations of the LCROSS impact site |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets |volume=116 |issue=E01005 |page=8 |bibcode=2011JGRE..116.1005N |doi=10.1029/2010JE003647 |doi-access=free}}

If it is possible to mine and extract the water molecules ({{chem|H|2|O}}) in large amounts, it can be broken down to its elements, namely hydrogen and oxygen, and form molecular hydrogen ({{chem|H|2}}) and molecular oxygen ({{chem|O|2}}) to be used as rocket bi-propellant or produce compounds for metallurgic and chemical production processes.{{cite journal |last1=Anand |first1=M. |last2=Crawford |first2=I. A. |last3=Balat-Pichelin |first3=M. |last4=Abanades |first4=S. |last5=van Westrenen |first5=W. |last6=Péraudeau |first6=G. |last7=Jaumann |first7=R. |last8=Seboldt |first8=W. |date=2012 |title=A brief review of chemical and mineralogical resources on the Moon and likely initial in situ resource utilization (ISRU) applications |journal=Planetary and Space Science |volume=74 |issue=1 |pages=42–48 |bibcode=2012P&SS...74...42A |doi=10.1016/j.pss.2012.08.012}} Just the production of propellant, was estimated by a joint panel of industry, government and academic experts, identified a near-term annual demand of 450 metric tons of lunar-derived propellant equating to 2450 metric tons of processed lunar water, generating US$2.4 billion of revenue annually.{{cite web | last=David | first=Leonard | title=Moon Mining Could Actually Work, with the Right Approach | website=Space.com | date=2019-03-15 | url=https://www.space.com/moon-mining-space-exploration-report.html}}

{{See also|Neutron spectrometer}}

The VIPER rover will be equipped with a drill and three analyzers. The Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS), will detect sub-surface water from a distance, then, VIPER will stop at that location and deploy a {{cvt|1|m}} drill called TRIDENT to obtain samples to be analyzed by its two onboard spectrometers:{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-viper-lunar-rover-to-map-water-ice-on-the-moon |title=New VIPER Lunar Rover to Map Water Ice on the Moon |first=Sarah |last=Loff |website=NASA |date=25 October 2019}}{{PD-notice}}{{cite web |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20190029655.pdf|title=Lunar Exploration Science Objectives|publisher=NASA|date=15 August 2019|access-date=22 September 2021}} {{PD-notice}}

File:VIPER rover nirvss.jpg

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