The US space agency has issued a $190 million task order through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, asking Blue Origin to develop a delivery plan for the rover. While this does not yet guarantee the company will carry the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the moon, it opens the door for a future deployment. NASA will first assess Blue Origin’s ability to deliver safely and reliably before committing to the full mission.
A critical requirement is that Blue Origin must successfully land its Blue Moon MK1 spacecraft—equipped with NASA technology payloads—on the lunar surface by the end of 2025. That demonstration mission is intended to prove the company’s readiness for more ambitious operations. Blue Origin, which won a contract in 2023 to deliver lunar cargo, has built the Blue Moon MK1 lander specifically for such assignments. Its maiden voyage will carry stereo cameras for surface surveys and small laser-equipped spheres to aid with mission tracking.
Should the trial succeed, Blue Origin’s next Blue Moon MK1—already under construction—would be used to carry VIPER. In a statement posted on X, the company said the mission would be “important for future lunar permanence” and for understanding how water and other resources are distributed on the moon.
The VIPER rover itself is a sophisticated exploration vehicle standing 2.5 meters tall and weighing nearly 500 kilograms. Equipped with a one-meter drill and three scientific instruments, it was designed to explore the permanently shadowed craters at the moon’s south pole in search of water ice—an element that could play a critical role in sustaining future lunar missions. Originally scheduled for launch in 2023, the rover’s mission was delayed, and in mid-2024 NASA formally cancelled it due to rising costs. The new CLPS arrangement with Blue Origin now appears to have breathed fresh life into the project.
NASA officials stress that engaging private contractors like Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Firefly Aerospace allows the agency to focus more directly on scientific goals while reducing costs traditionally associated with spaceflight.
“NASA is leading the world in exploring more of the Moon than ever before,” acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said. “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. These insights are vital for sustaining humans on longer missions, as America leads our future in space.”
If the program moves forward, VIPER could become one of the most significant robotic explorers sent to the lunar surface, with its findings helping to shape the next era of human space exploration.