NASA nixes moon rover mission due to skyrocketing costs, launch delays

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• NASA announced it is canceling its Viper moon rover project due to high cost and launch delays.
• The Viper rover was meant to explore the moon's south pole in search of water.
• Astrobotic Technology still plans to fly its Griffin moon lander by the end of next year, but it will no longer carry a moon rover with it as initially intended.

NASA said Wednesday it's canceling its water-seeking moon rover, citing cost overruns and launch delays.

The Viper rover was supposed to launch in late 2023 aboard a lander provided by Astrobotic Technology, but extra testing and increased costs kept delaying the mission, threatening other projects, the space agency said.

The rover had aimed to explore the moon's south pole. About $450 million had been spent so far on its development, NASA said.

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NASA's Viper (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration) vehicle is seen at the Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 7, 2024. On July 17, 2024, NASA said it is canceling the water-seeking moon rover. (Helen Arase Vargas/NASA via AP)

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The announcement comes days before the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, which landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon on July 20, 1969. NASA said it plans to study the presence of lunar ice through other projects.

Astrobotic still plans to fly its Griffin moon lander — minus a rover — by the end of next year. The company's first moonshot ended in failure in January with a fiery plunge over the South Pacific.