Space exploration has introduced the world to this wonderful human ability to collaborate, unfortunately history shows that we don't use it quite as much as we should! Recently, NASA put out a request to the general public for ideas for their VIPER rover, designed for lunar exploration. The exact purpose of VIPER was to search for volatile minerals in the polar regions of the moon. The big question is whether NASA will find any takers.
Lunar exploration has picked up steam again in recent years. NASA has developed a new rover called VIPER, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover. The 430-kilogram vehicle is designed to explore the moon's southern polar region and was scheduled to launch in late 2024. VIPER's main purpose was to locate water ice and other resources critical to human lunar exploration. It has a range of scientific instruments, including a drill, and will explore the polar region, mapping volatile elements along the way.
An artist's impression of the finished design of NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (or VIPER). VIPER will get a close-up view of the location and concentration of ice and other resources at the Moon's south pole, bringing us a significant step closer to NASA's ultimate goal of a long-term presence on the Moon – which would allow for the eventual exploration of Mars and beyond. Image credit: NASA/Daniel Rutter
The discovery of the Moon's reserves of water and other volatile, vital substances is critical for future human exploration. Not only can water sustain life by providing drinking water and oxygen through electrolysis, but it can also be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen to produce rocket fuel. Well-located reserves will reduce exploration costs and make long-term settlement on the Moon far more sustainable.
However, on July 17, NASA announced that it would no longer use VIPER and would like to develop other methods to locate water and other volatiles at the moon's south pole. Citing budgetary issues, VIPER seemed doomed, but they remain committed to bringing the system to the moon. As part of the announcement, NASA called on interested American companies and institutions to come forward if they would like to use VIPER for lunar exploration. This move supported NASA's intention to support sustainable lunar exploration for the benefit of all.
Between July 17 and August 1, NASA accepted expressions of interest for use of the VIPER rover. They now face the challenge of sifting through the information to find out how the interested groups and organizations would use VIPER and how the proposal would be free of charge to the U.S. government. It's not just American organizations though, NASA will also consider any proposals from international groups, although this will be done through a separate channel.
The window for accepting proposals is now closed and NASA will see how potential partners plan to use VIPER to achieve their science and exploration goals. NASA has, of course, built up technological and scientific expertise and would like to build on that in future projects to advance our knowledge of lunar exploration.
Source: NASA is examining interest from industry and partners in using the VIPER lunar rover
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