NASA’s axed moon rover could be resurrected by Intuitive Machines

By Georgina Torbet Published August 13, 2024

Lunar scientists were shocked and dismayed last month when NASA announced that it was canceling work on its moon rover, VIPER. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover was intended to search the moon’s south pole for evidence of water there, but NASA said that it had to ax the project due to increasing costs.

This week, an open letter to Congress called the cancellation of the mission “unprecedented and indefensible,” and questioned NASA’s assertion that the cancellation of the mission would not affect plans to send humans to the moon. Scientists argued that the mission was fundamental to understanding the presence of water on the moon, which is a key resource for human exploration, as well as an issue of scientific interest.

Now, however, the VIPER mission may have the chance to go ahead in a different form. Intuitive Machines, the company that launched a semi-successful lunar lander mission earlier this year, says it is interested in taking over the rover mission and launching it using its own lander.

“Our position there is that VIPER science is important to lunar scientists and the future of the Artemis program, and it’s very important in terms of prospecting for volatiles and entrained water ice in the soil,” said Steve Altemus, chief executive of Intuitive Machines, as reported by SpaceNews.

NASA has expressed interest in handing off the VIPER mission to a commercial partner, which would surely be preferable to all of the work that has gone into the rover so far going to waste. Altemus said his company was looking into what the costs would be to finish work on the rover, and that it was working with other partners such as companies or universities. He did not specify which other organizations were involved.

If Intuitive Machines were to take over VIPER, it could use its Nova-D lander to carry it to the moon, as the Nova-D is still in development, but has a larger weight capacity than the Nova-C lander that landed on the moon earlier this year. The planned launch date for the mission would be late 2027, and news from NASA about the mission’s future is expected next month.