NASA Revives VIPER Lunar Mission, Blue Origin to Deliver Rover to Moon’s South Pole in 2027

NASA has officially reinstated its Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission, awarding Blue Origin a $190 million contract to deliver the robotic explorer to the Moon’s south pole in late 2027. The announcement, made on September 19, marks a significant reversal for the agency, which had previously canceled the VIPER mission in July 2024 citing cost overruns and concerns over the original lander’s readiness.

Under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, Blue Origin will utilize its Blue Moon Mark 1 lander for the VIPER transport. This will be the second flight for the Blue Moon lander, following an initial mission anticipated later this year. VIPER’s primary objective is to search for water ice deposits within the permanently shadowed craters of the lunar south pole, crucial for future human exploration and resource utilization.

The new CLPS task order, designated CS-7, had not been publicly disclosed prior to the Blue Origin award. NASA associate administrator for science, Nicky Fox, emphasized the agency’s pursuit of “creative, cost-effective approaches” to achieve exploration goals, highlighting how this private sector partnership supports American leadership in space. Blue Origin also expressed enthusiasm, stating the mission is “important for future lunar permanence and will teach us about the origin and distribution of water on the moon.”

Previously, Astrobotic’s Griffin lander was slated to carry VIPER, but concerns over its readiness and escalating costs led to the mission’s initial cancellation. NASA has maintained its original CLPS award to Astrobotic, repurposing it for Griffin’s landing capability demonstration with commercial payloads. Astrobotic confirmed it strategically opted not to bid on the new VIPER opportunity due to existing commitments and a compressed timeline.

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