NASA has resurrected its robotic lunar rover mission, selecting Blue Origin to transport the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the moon's south pole in 2027. The $190 million contract, awarded under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, represents a significant development in NASA's lunar exploration plans.
Blue Origin will utilize its Blue Moon Mark 1 lander, scheduled for a second flight after an anticipated launch later this year. VIPER's primary objective is to locate water ice in the permanently shadowed craters of the lunar south pole, a crucial resource for future human missions.
This decision marks a change of course for NASA. In July 2024, the agency announced the cancellation of VIPER due to escalating costs and concerns about the Astrobotic Griffin lander's readiness for a September 2025 launch. After exploring alternative approaches, NASA ultimately opted for a partnership with Blue Origin.
The new CLPS task order, designated CS-7, was not publicly announced until the Blue Origin award. The initial award covers the design of VIPER's accommodations on the Blue Moon lander and its deployment onto the lunar surface. A subsequent option will fund the actual delivery of the rover, contingent on successful completion of the design phase and the first Blue Moon mission landing.
“We’ve been looking for creative, cost-effective approaches to accomplish these exploration goals,” Nicky Fox, NASA associate administrator for science, stated. “This private sector-developed landing capability enables this delivery and focuses our investments accordingly — supporting American leadership in space and ensuring our long-term exploration is robust and affordable.”
Blue Origin confirmed their participation, stating, “Our second Blue Moon MK1 lander is already in production and well-suited to support the VIPER rover. Building on the learnings from our first MK1 lander, this mission is important for future lunar permanence and will teach us about the origin and distribution of water on the moon.”
This arrangement effectively results in NASA funding two separate launches for VIPER. The original CLPS award to Astrobotic remains in place, repurposed to demonstrate the Griffin lander's capabilities with commercial payloads, including the FLIP rover.
Astrobotic opted not to bid on the new VIPER contract. “Given the compressed timeline of the CS-7 mission and our commitments to existing customers, Astrobotic made the strategic decision not to submit a bid,” the company explained. “Our focus remains on the successful delivery of our customer payloads aboard Griffin-1, and our third lander mission thereafter.”
NASA has yet to release specifics regarding the CS-7 award timeline or the number of bids received.