NASA has made the difficult decision to cancel its $450 million VIPER moon rover program due to budget concerns. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, known as VIPER, was designed to land near the moon’s south pole to search for lunar ice deposits over a 100-day period. Initially scheduled for a 2025 launch as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, VIPER will now be repurposed for future missions or potentially sold to industry.
The announcement to terminate the VIPER mission was made during a teleconference, with the cancellation estimated to save the agency an additional $84 million in development costs. Despite the cancellation, NASA emphasized the success of the program thus far and clarified that the decision was purely financial.
Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA headquarters, highlighted the confidence in the VIPER team’s work, stating, “This really gets down to cost and a very constrained budget environment in the United States.” Nicola Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, echoed Kearns’ sentiment, praising the dedication of the mission team throughout the rover’s development, even amidst challenges like the pandemic.
While acknowledging the tough decision, Fox reiterated that the cancellation was driven by budgetary constraints. Despite the setback, NASA remains committed to its exploration goals and will continue to pursue innovative missions in space exploration.
