NASA has abruptly cancelled its VIPER mission to the moon’s south pole, citing cost increases, delays to the launch date, and risks of future cost growth. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) was designed to search for water ice and had already been assembled, with NASA spending $450 million on the project.
Despite the significant investment, NASA believes that cancelling VIPER will save at least $84 million, avoiding costs associated with testing the rover, operating it, and dealing with potential future delays. The agency was concerned about additional expenses if the launch date, which has already been pushed back multiple times, suffered further delays.
VIPER was initially set to launch in late 2022, but its launch was delayed due to supply chain issues caused by the COVID pandemic, among other issues. The new estimated launch date is now September 2025 at the earliest, highlighting the risks of further delays.
NASA is planning to disassemble the VIPER rover and reuse its instruments and components in future missions. The agency will also consider proposals from American and international companies that may be interested in using the rover, as long as it does not increase the government’s financial burden.
Separately, NASA has chosen Astrobotic to launch the VIPER rover and develop the Griffin lander, which is designed to safely land the rover on the moon. Although VIPER has been cancelled, the Griffin lander mission will still proceed, featuring a non-functional item simulating the mass of the VIPER rover. A successful demonstration of the Griffin lander would be valuable for future missions, regardless of whether they carry a real rover.
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