Blue Origin wins NASA deal to ferry VIPER rover to lunar south pole | TechCrunch

"Separately, NASA has awarded the company a human-rated lander contract under Artemis, but that program is distinct from this mission. This new award was granted under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order for roughly $190 million. Blue Moon Mk1 is targeting a site near the lunar south pole, where scientists suspect there are significant stores of water ice. VIPER will drill down into the surface to test that hypothesis."

"After delays on both the rover and lander, NASA canceled VIPER in July 2024, citing ballooning costs, even though much of the hardware was already built. The move drew criticism from lawmakers and scientists. One month later, NASA issued a request for ideas from U.S. companies to explore ways to put the existing rover to work without adding additional costs to the government."

Blue Origin won a NASA contract to deliver the VIPER rover using an uncrewed Blue Moon Mk1 lander. The Commercial Lunar Payload Services award is roughly $190 million. VIPER, short for 'Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover', will target the lunar south pole and drill to map water ice deposits. The rover will operate about 100 days, prospecting and drilling with multiple instruments. NASA previously chose Astrobotic in 2020 but canceled VIPER in July 2024 because of delays and cost overruns. Lawmakers and scientists criticized the cancellation, prompting NASA to solicit ideas to use the existing rover without extra government cost. The mission is scheduled for late 2027.

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