On Friday, Blue Origin achieved a significant milestone by winning a crucial NASA contract to deliver a lunar rover to the moon. This development represents a robust vote of confidence in both the Blue Moon lander and the future landscape of human exploration on the lunar surface. The contract ensures that the VIPER rover — which stands for “Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover” — will finally embark on its journey to the moon after NASA previously shelved the entire program due to delays and budget overruns.
Under the terms of the contract, Blue Origin will transport the VIPER rover using its uncrewed Blue Moon MK1 lander. This mission is distinct from a separate human-rated lander contract awarded to Blue Origin under NASA's Artemis program. The recent award falls under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order, valued at approximately $190 million. The Blue Moon MK1 is set to target a site near the lunar south pole, an area where scientists believe there are substantial reserves of water ice. VIPER's primary mission will involve drilling into the surface to validate these scientific hypotheses.
This decision marks a significant turning point for the VIPER program. Initially, NASA selected Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic in 2020 to deliver the rover aboard its Griffin lander, a contract initially worth $199.5 million. However, due to various delays affecting both the rover and the lander, NASA canceled the VIPER mission in July 2024, citing escalating costs, despite the fact that much of the hardware was already constructed. This cancellation drew considerable criticism from lawmakers and the scientific community.
In the wake of the cancellation, NASA issued a request for proposals from U.S. companies to explore viable solutions for utilizing the existing rover without incurring additional government costs. This led to Blue Origin's recent success.
The award is particularly significant for Blue Origin, as it marks the first high-profile scientific payload for the cargo-capable Blue Moon lander, establishing a timeline for the mission set for late 2027. Additionally, it represents a second major endorsement from NASA for the company’s lunar aspirations, following the Human Landing System contract.
The VIPER rover, comparable in size to a golf cart, is scheduled to operate on the lunar surface for approximately 100 days. During its mission, VIPER will traverse the terrain, prospect for resources, and drill into the ground to map potential water ice deposits. Equipped with a suite of advanced instruments, including a drill and three spectrometers, the rover is designed to detect not only water but also hydrogen and other essential minerals.
The findings from VIPER's mission will be pivotal for NASA’s long-term scientific objectives and for establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon. The ability to extract resources in-situ — as opposed to transporting them from Earth — will be crucial. The presence of ice on the moon could potentially be converted into drinking water, oxygen, and even rocket propellant for future missions.
