Source – smithsonianmag.com smart news
VIPER Mission Scrapped
NASA has officially canceled its VIPER moon rover program due to escalating costs. VIPER, short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, was set to land near the moon’s south pole and spend 100 days searching for lunar ice deposits. Originally scheduled for a 2025 launch aboard an Astrobotic Griffin lander, the mission was part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The cancellation was announced during a teleconference on July 17, aiming to save the agency an additional $84 million in development costs. NASA had already invested about $450 million into the program, excluding launch expenses.
Budgetary Constraints
Despite the mission’s progress, NASA leadership emphasized that the cancellation was purely a budgetary decision. “We were very confident in the VIPER team. This really gets down to cost and a very constrained budget environment in the United States,” stated Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA headquarters in Washington. Nicola Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, added, “First and most important, this is in no way a reflection on the quality of the work from the mission team. They have worked diligently, including through the pandemic, to build this rover to look for water on the moon.”
Future Plans for VIPER Components
At the time of cancellation, the VIPER Moon rover was fully assembled and undergoing environmental testing. NASA is now exploring options to “potentially de-integrate and reuse VIPER scientific instruments and components for future moon missions,” Kearns mentioned. The agency will first seek interest from both U.S. and international industry partners to use the rover as-is.
Continuing Lunar Exploration
NASA remains optimistic about achieving VIPER’s science objectives through other lunar initiatives. The upcoming Lunar Terrain Vehicle, designed to carry astronauts on the moon, might also be operated remotely to explore permanently shadowed regions near the lunar south pole in search of ice. Other lunar landers might deploy instruments similar to those planned for VIPER. “We believe that, over time, we are going to be able to address the science objectives that we originally identified specifically for VIPER,” Kearns said.
Broader Budgetary Impact
The VIPER moon rover cancellation reflects broader financial challenges within NASA. The agency’s fiscal year 2025 budget has necessitated tough decisions across various science programs. Funding for NASA’s science programs was reduced by $1 billion for 2025. “We have to make some pretty tough choices,” Fox acknowledged during a separate teleconference regarding the agency’s budget in March.
Impacts on Other Programs
Other NASA programs are also facing significant budgetary constraints. The Chandra X-ray telescope’s budget will be slashed from $41.1 million in 2025 to just $5.2 million in 2029. Meanwhile, the ambitious Mars Sample Return program, with a ballooning cost of over $11 billion, is now seeking alternative operational concepts to address Congressional concerns.
Despite these setbacks, NASA remains committed to its goal of exploring and understanding our solar system. The agency is working on reallocating resources and adjusting its strategies to continue its scientific endeavors within the confines of a tightened budget. The cancellation of the VIPER mission, while disappointing, underscores the importance of fiscal responsibility and strategic planning in advancing space exploration efforts.
