NASA is weighing a plan to send its full-scale engineering model of the Perseverance rover to the lunar south pole. The vehicle, nicknamed Promise, would carry a nuclear power source to enable operations through the long lunar night.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Tuesday that officials are thinking very hard about the idea. The car-sized rover, currently at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, was built as a testbed for Perseverance but is no longer needed for that role after years of Mars operations.
Promise would be fitted with an MMRTG nuclear generator. This would let it travel freely regardless of sunlight and survive the lunar night, unlike solar-powered rovers. Delivery would likely require a large lander such as Blue Origin’s Blue Moon or SpaceX’s Starship.
NASA officials Carlos García-Galán and Isaacman highlighted the scientific potential. They noted the rover could explore difficult terrain and reach areas of interest for a future Moon base. The plan remains under assessment and is not yet approved.
