NASA has posted a request for information to identify U.S. organizations interested in using the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover for lunar missions.
VIPER was developed to map the distribution and concentration of ice on the moon’s south pole; however, the project was discontinued and will be replaced by alternative methods, NASA said Friday.
In July, NASA announced its plan to end the VIPER development due to cost increases, delays to the launch date and the risks of future cost growth.
The rover’s launch, originally scheduled in late 2023, was delayed to late 2024 to provide more time for preflight testing of the Astrobotic lander and then was moved to September 2025 because of additional schedule and supply chain delays.
Through the RFI, NASA will determine how organizations would use VIPER under a partnership with the space agency.
“We want to make the best use possible of the engineering, technology, and expertise that have been developed by this project to advance scientific knowledge of the Moon,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA.
“Partnership opportunities on VIPER would allow us to do this without impacting our future cadence of commercial deliveries to the Moon, to continue lunar science and exploration for everyone’s benefit,” she added.
Responses to the RFI are due Sept. 2.