NASA’s VIPER Moon Rover Gets a 2nd Chance

NASA Gave Up a Ride to the Moon. This Startup’s Rover Took It.
After the space agency canceled its VIPER rover, an empty space was available on a private spacecraft that will still head to the lunar surface.
VIPER back from the dead? NASA asks US companies to partner on ice-hunting moon rover
"NASA is looking forward to partnering with U.S. industry to meet the challenges of performing volatiles science in the lunar environment."
NASA’s VIPER Moon Rover Gets a Second Chance as NASA Turns to Private Industry for Revival
NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission, initially set to explore the moon’s south pole for crucial water ice deposits, faced a significant setback when it was canceled in July 2024 due to budget constraints.
NASA requests industry proposals for VIPER lunar rover partnership
NASA is moving ahead with plans to partner with a company to deliver a rover to the surface of the moon after the agency canceled the mission last year.
NASA Seeks Industry Partner for VIPER Lunar Exploration
As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, VIPER will be equipped with instruments to explore the lunar surface, particularly to search for ice. The mission aims to determine the location of ice that astronauts can potentially use in future missions. The agency also intends to understand how the moon and its surface evolved.
NASA Is Literally Giving a Moon Rover Away, But Only to American Companies
American space agency NASA is looking for a U.S. company to fly the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the Moon and do science
NASA seeking good home for VIPER Moon rover
NASA is seeking a new owner for its Moon rover after canceling plans to send its robotic mission to the lunar surface in search of ice.
Astrobotic secures new lunar payload after NASA nixed rover last year
Astrolab has a contract with SpaceX to transport a larger rover, the Flexible Logistics and Exploration rover, in December of 2026. Transporting FLIP with Astrobotic gives the company the opportunity to demonstrate components of the technology in an actual lunar scenario before that launch next year.
NASA Presses Forward Search for VIPER Moon Rover Partner
To advance plans of securing a public/private partnership and land and operate NASA's VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission on the Moon in collaboration with industry the agency announced Monday it is seeking U.
After a wrenching decision by NASA, private lunar lander finds a new customer
However, in lieu of a mass simulator, Astrobotic wanted to see if it could find a more useful payload. So as the company's ...
Astrolab's FLIP rover joins Astrobotic's Griffin-1 As Primary Payload to the Moon
Today, Venturi Astrolab (Astrolab) and Astrobotic announced that Astrobotic’s Griffin lander will deliver an Astrolab rover ...