NASA is set to launch its VIPER Moon Rover, a robotic rover designed to explore the relatively nearby but extreme environment of the Moon in search of ice and other potential resources. The rover is part of NASA’s Artemis lunar program, which aims to establish a long-term presence on the surface of the Moon.
VIPER Mission and Objectives
VIPER is scheduled to land at the South Pole of the Moon in late 2024 on a 100-day mission. The rover will use its three instruments and a 3.28-foot (1-meter) drill to detect and analyze various lunar soil environments at a range of depths and temperatures. The rover will venture into permanently shadowed craters, some of the coldest spots in the solar system, where ice reserves have endured for billions of years.