Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

NASA’s VIPER Moon Mission Is Back On

NASA's VIPER rover will launch in 2027 aboard Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander to locate water ice critical for sustainable lunar exploration and Artemis program goals.

  • On September 19, 2025, NASA revealed that the VIPER rover is scheduled to reach the lunar surface in late 2027, utilizing Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 lander as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.
  • VIPER's previous mission was canceled in July 2024 due to rising costs and delays, which prompted NASA to seek a commercial partner for its delivery.
  • The rover, about the size of a car, will operate near the Moon’s southern polar region to locate and analyze ice deposits and other materials vital for supporting long-term human missions.
  • NASA granted Blue Origin a roughly $190 million task order for the mission, as Joel Kearns stated it could reveal where ice is easiest to access for future human use.
  • This mission restart marks a resolution to previous uncertainties surrounding VIPER and supports the Artemis program’s objective of establishing a lasting human presence on the moon by approximately 2030.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions

17 Articles

Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 50% of the sources lean Left, 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center

Factuality 

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

IMP broke the news in on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
Sources are mostly out of (0)
News
For You
Search
BlindspotLocal