NASA is reviving its moon rover mission, Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), by partnering with a US company. The agency canceled the project last year due to high costs and schedule delays. Now, it’s seeking proposals from private companies interested in delivering the rover to the lunar surface.
Under the proposed partnership, NASA will provide the VIPER rover, which has been built and tested. The selected company will be responsible for launching, landing, and operating the rover. In return, NASA will not provide funding to the partner but instead offer the rover hardware as-is, with the partner taking on all costs and responsibilities.
The agency is following a two-step approach to select a partner. The first step involves submitting a proposal outlining the company’s approach to flying VIPER and achieving its science goals by March 3. A week later, NASA will inform which companies will be invited to submit a more detailed second proposal by May 2. A selected company will then enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with NASA to fly VIPER.
Companies that secure the partnership will benefit from demonstrating their ability to successfully land a large payload like VIPER. The mission aims to prospect for water ice in lunar shadowed craters, advancing commercial lunar landing capabilities and resource prospecting possibilities.
NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator Joel Kearns argued that partnering with industry would preserve the mission’s science while allowing companies to demonstrate their capabilities. “This partnership offers NASA a unique opportunity to engage with the private sector,” he said.
Source: https://spacenews.com/nasa-requests-industry-proposals-for-viper-lunar-rover-partnership