Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

 

 

 

NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, was cancelled on July 17 by the space agency.

But in a wait-a-minute and ready-to-roll mode the rover continues to inch its way forward.

Commercial/international partners may be selected to fly the moon machine to the lunar south pole. In addition, Congressional lawmakers are taking a budgetary hard-look at the situation, prodded in part, by a save VIPER letter-writing campaign involving 4,800-plus shoot-for-the-Moon supporters.

 

 

Vacuum chamber

In the interim, VIPER recently entered thermal vacuum chamber testing to be completed by October.

The NASA decision to cancel the VIPER south pole Moon rover continues to stir up lunar exploration advocates, with the open letter to Congress requesting lawmakers to “refuse to authorize” the NASA verdict.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The open letter can be viewed at:

https://forms.gle/bRzoLN5P66Ge2vzN9

At this point in time, NASA had put in $450 million into VIPER.

“Continuation of VIPER would result in an increased cost that threatens cancellation or disruption to other CLPS missions,” the space agency statement explains. “NASA has notified Congress of the agency’s intent.” CLPS IS NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to the NASA VIPER cancellation statement at:

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-ends-viper-project-continues-moon-exploration/

Partnership opportunity

NASA said it’s planning to disassemble and reuse VIPER’s instruments and components for future Moon missions.

Prior to disassembly, NASA’s open to expressions of interest from U.S. industry and international partners for use of the existing VIPER rover system at no cost to the government.

Go to the VIPER Rover Partnership Opportunity request at:

https://sam.gov/opp/ccc3285133aa4dbd877b9dcb53fab99c/view

Wait a Minute!
Image credit: Barbara David