"NASA's VIPER Rover Raises Mast for Lunar Exploration"

NASA's VIPER robotic moon rover has been equipped with a taller mast and a suite of instruments to aid in its exploration of the lunar South Pole. The mast, standing at approximately eight feet, features stereo navigation cameras, LED headlights, and antennas for data transmission. VIPER's mission is to investigate the origin of water and resources on the Moon, as well as the extreme lunar environment, in preparation for NASA's Artemis campaign. The rover will be the first planetary rover to have headlights, which will help reveal obstacles and terrain features in the Moon's challenging lighting conditions. VIPER is set to launch to the Moon aboard Astrobotic's Griffin lunar lander on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.