All articles tagged with #viper
Originally Published 3 months ago — by Gizmodo
NASA's lunar water-hunting rover VIPER, initially canceled due to delays, will now be delivered to the Moon by Blue Origin in 2027 as part of a new partnership, ensuring continued exploration of lunar water resources crucial for future human missions.
Originally Published 3 months ago — by SpaceNews
NASA awarded Blue Origin a sole-source contract to deliver the VIPER lunar rover to the moon's south pole using the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, after a competitive process where only Blue Origin submitted a proposal, reviving a previously canceled mission and highlighting the challenges in lunar delivery options.
Originally Published 3 months ago — by SpaceNews
NASA has revived its VIPER lunar rover mission by awarding Blue Origin a $190 million contract to deliver the rover to the moon's south pole in 2027 using the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, marking a strategic shift after previous cancellation concerns, and supporting lunar water exploration.
Originally Published 3 months ago — by Space
NASA's VIPER rover, designed to explore lunar water ice, will be delivered to the moon's south pole by Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander in 2027, marking a significant step in lunar resource exploration and supporting NASA's Artemis program.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by SpaceNews
NASA has decided to cancel the VIPER lunar rover mission due to cost and schedule overruns, which would have impacted other missions in the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The cancellation could have led to the termination or delay of up to eight CLPS missions. NASA is exploring alternative options, including partnering with commercial and international entities, to continue the mission. The decision has faced criticism for potentially missing the opportunity to study lunar water ice deposits, crucial for future lunar exploration and commercialization.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by SpaceNews
NASA is evaluating the future of its VIPER lunar rover mission, which was canceled in July due to anticipated cost overruns and delays. The agency is reviewing responses to a request for information (RFI) seeking alternative uses for the nearly complete rover. Despite successful environmental tests, VIPER's launch was delayed to no earlier than September 2025 on Astrobotic's Griffin lander. NASA is considering partnerships and may propose next steps by early 2025, while Congress could potentially intervene to revive the mission.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by NASA
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.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Space.com
Astrobotic is preparing for its next moon mission, the Griffin Mission One lunar lander, following the failure of its Peregrine Mission One. The upcoming mission will carry NASA's VIPER robot to the moon's south pole to investigate water ice. Despite the setbacks, Astrobotic remains optimistic about the future of lunar exploration and the success of the NASA CLPS initiative.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Yahoo! Voices
NASA's VIPER moon rover, set to launch later this year, has reached a major milestone with over 80% of its construction completed. The rover will land near the lunar south pole to search for water ice and resources to support future Artemis astronauts, spending 100 days collecting data and creating resource maps. VIPER will be the first-ever resource mapping mission on another celestial body, investigating permanently shadowed craters and extreme lunar environments. The team is conducting rigorous testing to ensure the rover's functionality in the challenging lunar conditions.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by NASA
NASA's VIPER rover has had its final science instrument, TRIDENT, integrated into its belly, marking a significant milestone in its preparation for a lunar mission. TRIDENT, designed to dig up soil from below the lunar surface using a rotary percussive drill, was successfully tested for its drilling capabilities. VIPER, set to launch to the Moon as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, will use these instruments to study the origin of water and other resources on the Moon to support human exploration as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Daily Beast
Houston rapper Lee Carter, also known as Viper, has been accused of kidnapping a pregnant woman off the street and holding her captive in his garage for at least four years. The woman was allegedly forced to have sex, fed only chips and snacks, and given drugs. Police found her in a malnourished and filthy state, and she reported being held against her will for years. Carter, a real estate broker and aspiring MBA student, has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and remains in jail on a $100,000 bond.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by NASA
NASA is offering the public an opportunity to send their names to the Moon on the VIPER rover, which aims to explore the lunar South Pole and study water resources. People can submit their names until March 15 and receive a virtual boarding pass. The mission supports NASA's Artemis program, which includes landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, and is part of the broader initiative to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon as a precursor to Mars exploration.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Yahoo! Voices
NASA's VIPER moon rover, set to launch in 2024, is practicing leaving its lander in preparation for its mission to search for water ice on the moon's surface. Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center sent the prototype rover down a ramp in an indoor facility to simulate different exit strategies. The rover's main mission is to facilitate NASA's Artemis program, which aims to restart moon exploration with astronauts and establish a permanent settlement at the moon's south pole. The mission has been delayed two years from its initial target launch of 2022.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CNN
NASA's VIPER rover is set to land on the moon's South Pole in 2024 to search for water ice, which could lay the foundation for sustained lunar exploration. Equipped with three spectrometers and a 1-meter drill, VIPER will collect and analyze samples and map the distribution of water ice beneath the surface. VIPER's design and capabilities are adapted to lunar polar conditions, including its solar arrays being on the sides of the rover due to the low sun on the horizon. Other countries and organizations are also developing moon rovers for exploration and data collection.