Blue Origin Secures NASA Deal for VIPER Moon Mission

Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos has won a significant contract from NASA to transport the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover VIPER to the lunar south pole. This mission is a critical part of NASA’s Artemis program which aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.

Details of the NASA Contract

• What: NASA has selected Blue Origin to deliver the VIPER Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover to the lunar surface under a Commercial Lunar Payload Services CLPS task order. NASA
• Lander: The rover will ride aboard Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 MK1 lander. Blue Origin is also building a second MK1 lander for this specific mission.
• Timeline: The delivery is planned for late 2027 assuming the lander’s first CLPS mission succeeds.
• Contract Value: The CLPS task order has a potential value of about $190 million.
• Scope of Work:
  • Blue Origin is responsible for designing the lander accommodations specific to VIPER integrating the payload planning for the mission conducting tests and deploying the rover after landing.
  • NASA retains responsibility for rover operations once deployed and for science planning.
  • There is a base portion of the task order payload-specific design and off-loading demonstration and an option to proceed with full rover delivery and deployment after review.

Context & Background

• Cancellation & Revival: VIPER was originally scheduled to go to the Moon via Astrobotic’s Griffin lander under an earlier CLPS contract. It was canceled in mid-2024 by NASA due to cost overruns scheduling delays and technical issues.
• After cancellation NASA: sought alternate paths to still use the VIPER rover’s capabilities. This new contract with Blue Origin is that alternative.

Scientific & Strategic Objectives

• Primary Mission Goal: VIPER will explore permanently shadowed regions at the lunar South Pole looking for ice and volatiles materials that are critical for future human missions water fuel life support.
• Mission Duration: The rover has a planned operational timeframe of about 100 earth days on the lunar surface.

The VIPER rover is designed to explore the lunar south pole searching for water ice and other resources. Understanding the availability and distribution of these resources is crucial for future lunar missions and potential resource utilization. The data collected by VIPER will inform NASA’s plans for sustainable lunar exploration.

Blue Origin’s Role in Artemis Program

Blue Origin is a key partner in NASA’s Artemis program. Their Blue Moon lander is designed to deliver payloads and eventually humans to the lunar surface. This recent contract further solidifies Blue Origin’s role in supporting NASA’s lunar ambitions.

Advancing Lunar Exploration

This collaboration between NASA and Blue Origin highlights the growing importance of commercial partnerships in space exploration. By leveraging the expertise and innovation of private companies like Blue Origin, NASA can accelerate its goals and achieve ambitious milestones in lunar exploration.

The successful delivery of the VIPER rover will mark a significant step forward in understanding the Moon’s resources and paving the way for future human missions. The Artemis program relies on gathering data from tools such as the VIPER rover.