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NASA Reconsiders Commercial Partnership for VIPER Lunar Rover Mission
In a shift of strategy, NASA has terminated its search for a commercial entity to deploy the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). The space agency will now explore “alternative approaches” for the mission, aimed at prospecting for water ice in the moon’s south polar region. This adjustment impacts the previous plan to engage partners for launching and operating the lunar rover.
Change in Strategy: Alternative Approaches
In a statement released on May 7, NASA declared the cancellation of its February solicitation, which sought proposals from the private sector for collaborative efforts in launching the VIPER spacecraft. The initial concept involved a company transporting VIPER to the lunar south pole and then overseeing the rover’s operations.
- NASA had hoped for a partner to manage the lander and rover searching for water ice.
- The agency has now decided to explore different methods, according to their announcement.
“Following an evaluation of partnership proposals to land a water-seeking robot on the lunar surface, NASA is instead opting to explore alternative approaches,” the agency stated, without offering further details.
Hints at a Shift
The announcement coincided with a presentation by Nicky Fox, NASA’s associate administrator for science, at the Lunar Surface Science Workshop. Fox alluded to NASA considering alternatives for VIPER, though she stopped short of announcing the formal cancellation of the solicitation.
“The agency has evaluated an initial set of proposals for industry to deliver the rover at no cost to the government, and now we are continuing to explore alternative approaches,” she mentioned at the workshop. “We really do look forward to accomplishing future volatile science with VIPER.”
Solicitation Structure and Industry Concerns
The solicitation was designed as a two-phase initiative. Companies were initially requested to submit “Step 1” proposals by March. NASA intended to assess these proposals and then invite select companies to submit more comprehensive “Step 2” proposals, which would have been due in May.
Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, later clarified at the workshop that NASA chose to suspend the solicitation after reviewing the initial Step 1 proposals.
Restructuring Partnership Proposals
“We are considering alternative partnerships. These are different ways to structure partnership proposals based on what we learned from reviewing the Step 1 proposals,” he stated. “We are looking at different types of partnerships that are structured differently from what we originally envisioned to try to generate stronger proposals.” However, he indicated that NASA was not prepared to provide further information on these alternatives or a definitive timeline.
Industry Perspectives
Industry representatives had previously voiced concerns about the original partnership structure, which required companies to fund both the launch and operation of VIPER without financial assistance from NASA. While NASA would receive and disseminate the resulting data, this arrangement made it problematic for companies to develop a viable business model that would allow them to at least achieve a break-even scenario.
“I’m not sure what we’re going to do with VIPER yet. The way that it came out, it’s got to be fully funded without NASA, and NASA retains all the data,” remarked Steve Altemus, chief executive of Intuitive Machines, during a March 24 earnings call. “It’s quite limited in our ability to commercialize it.”
Scientific Community Input
Some members of the scientific community shared similar reservations. Brett Denevi, a principal staff scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, commented at an April 1 hearing of the House Science Committee’s space subcommittee on commercial lunar missions: “We should not expect VIPER science to happen by hoping that someone will offer to fly and operate it on their own dime.”
Past Setbacks and Congressional Scrutiny
NASA’s decision to cancel the partnership solicitation marks the latest challenge for the VIPER mission. In July 2024, NASA initially announced the mission’s cancellation, which was then slated to launch on Astrobotic Technology’s Griffin lander in late 2025. This cancellation was attributed to escalating costs and schedule delays, despite the rover being substantially complete. At that time, NASA announced that they would solicit entities or international partners interested in taking over the project.
- NASA received about 50 expressions of interest.
- These ranged from serious proposals to less feasible ideas, according to Kearns.
The agency then issued a more formal request for information regarding alternative uses for VIPER, receiving 11 responses that informed the development of the partnership solicitation.
The handling of the VIPER lunar rover mission has drawn criticism from members of Congress, who sent a letter to NASA last September requesting details about the decision to initially cancel VIPER. NASA responded that accommodating VIPER would necessitate delaying or canceling other missions within its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
“I was not satisfied with the answers that we got,” stated Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Science Committee, at the April hearing, referring to NASA’s responses regarding VIPER. “Certainly, the project was terminated after it was complete.”