Blue Origin secures NASA contract to deliver lunar rover
NASA has awarded Blue Origin a contract to transport its VIPER rover to the Moon's south pole. The deal, part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, aims to explore potential water ice resources. The mission is set for late 2024.
NASA announced on November 13, 2023, that it has selected Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, to deliver the agency's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the lunar south pole. This contract, valued at $116.9 million, falls under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which partners with private firms to ferry scientific payloads to the Moon.
The VIPER rover, about the size of a golf cart, will be launched aboard Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 lander. The mission is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024, using a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Once on the surface, VIPER will traverse the Nobile Crater region for approximately 100 days, equipped with instruments to map and analyze water ice and other volatiles that could support future human exploration under the Artemis program.
"This mission will help us better understand the lunar south pole environment and the distribution of water ice there," said Lori Glaze, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division. The selection of Blue Origin came after a competitive bidding process; earlier in 2023, Astrobotic was initially chosen but the contract was adjusted due to changes in mission timelines.
Blue Origin's involvement builds on its growing role in NASA's lunar efforts. The company has been developing the Blue Moon lander through NASA's Sustainable Exploration and Surface Capabilities program. This CLPS task order marks a key step in proving commercial landers can reliably deliver NASA science to the Moon, paving the way for more frequent and cost-effective missions.
The contract underscores NASA's strategy to leverage private industry for deep space exploration. By outsourcing delivery, NASA can focus resources on rover development and scientific objectives. VIPER's findings could inform site selection for future lunar bases, highlighting the Moon's potential as a stepping stone for Mars missions.