The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has named the company that will deliver the VIPER rover to the moon.
The space agency's website reports a $199,5 million contract with Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic to deliver a VIPER rover to the south pole of the moon by the end of 2023.
The VIPER rover, designed to search for ice on the Earth's natural satellite, "will help pave the way for astronaut flights to the lunar surface starting in 2024, and will bring NASA one step closer to creating a sustainable long-term presence on the Moon under the agency's Artemis program," said the space agency. USA.
Sending VIPER to the Moon is part of NASA's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program to create landers and commercial payload services, which uses the capabilities of the agency's industry partners to quickly deliver scientific equipment and other payloads to the surface of the Earth's natural satellite. Under the terms of the contract, Astrobotic is responsible for VIPER's end-to-end delivery services, including integration with the Griffin lander, launch from Earth, and landing on the lunar surface.
During the 100 Earth day mission, the VIPER rover will travel several kilometers using its four scientific instruments to sample various soil environments. Three of them are expected to be tested on the Moon during the CLPS missions in 2021 and 2022. The rover will also have a drill to penetrate the lunar surface to a depth of 3 feet (about 0,9 m).
βWe're doing something we've never done before β testing instruments on the moon while the rover is being developed. VIPER and the many payloads that we will be sending to the lunar surface over the next few years will help us realize the enormous scientific potential of the moon,β said NASA Deputy Director of Science Thomas Zurbuchen.
Source: 3dnews.ru