NASA’s VIPER rover was canceled due to funding issues, leaving an empty spot on a private spacecraft that will still make it to the lunar surface. The void was filled by a startup’s rover, which now has a chance to conduct its own research and gather data on the moon’s subsurface.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/science/nasa-moon-rover-astrolab-astrobotic.html