NASA VIPER Moon Rover Project Returns: Blue Origin Set to Lead the 2027 Mission Under CLPS Program

NASA has decided to give the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) Moon rover project another go after canceling the venture last year following delays and budget issues.

The mission would be led by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, with the company bringing the VIPER Moon rover from the planet to the Moon's orbit to deliver the payload under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

However, this means that the company needs to first demonstrate that it is capable of doing the long-haul mission and deliver the payload cargo safely and securely to the moon before the target date.

NASA VIPER Moon Rover Returns With Blue Origin

NASA shared a new announcement which confirms the return of its VIPER project which is set to explore more of the Moon's far side to search for volatile resources. The space agency has also designated Blue Origin to lead the mission under the CLPS program.

According to NASA, this is essential for the future missions that the agency has planned for both the Moon and Mars, which involves searching for volatile resources such as ice or water on the lunar surface.

"Our rover will explore the extreme environment of the lunar South Pole, traveling to small, permanently shadowed regions to help inform future landing sites for our astronauts and better understand the Moon's environment – important insights for sustaining humans over longer missions, as America leads our future in space," said NASA Administrator Sean Duffy.

This new CLPS task order has a total potential value of $190 million, said NASA, and is the second CLPS lunar delivery contract awarded to Bezos' Blue Origin.

The first contract involves the Blue Moon Mark 1 robotic lunar lander that is set to launch later this year to deliver the Stereo Cameras for the Lunar-Plume Surface Studies and Laser Retroreflective Array to the Moon's South Pole, according to NASA.

Blue Origin to Lead NASA VIPER Mission by 2027

Blue Origin was given the CS-7 task order for the VIPER mission, which features an "award base to design the payload-specific accommodations," with this set to demonstrate how Blue Origin will offload the rover to the lunar surface based on their flight design.

This latest contract would serve as a massive test for Blue Origin as they would be responsible for the complete landing mission architecture, focusing on the design, analysis, and testing of the lunar lander.