After long delays and cost overruns, NASA's lunar rover project forced to cancel | WPN World People News

NASA recently announced the cancellation of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) lunar rover development project, which had been delayed for a long time and cost overrun. The project had already invested $450 million over several years. This represents a significant setback for NASA's lunar exploration plans!

According to foreign media reports, the mission of the VIPER lunar rover was to explore the lunar south pole, searching for ice and other resources over a 100-day period. This mission was also intended to pave the way for future astronaut lunar missions under the Artemis program.

NASA initially planned for the VIPER lunar rover to be operational by 2023. However, in 2022, NASA requested that the launch date be postponed to the end of 2024 to allow more time for pre-flight testing. Shortly after, the VIPER lunar rover's launch date was again pushed back to September 2025. At this point, the development cost of the VIPER lunar rover was expected to increase to $609.6 million.

Due to budget constraints, NASA had to abandon the VIPER lunar rover development project. NASA officials stated that they have informed Congress of this decision. However, if interested industry partners can reach a proper agreement, the VIPER lunar rover might still be used in future missions, either as a whole or in parts.