THE VOLATILES INVESTIGATING POLAR EXPLORATION ROVER (VIPER)
Discover how NASA’s VIPER rover will explore the lunar South Pole
LOCATION: CIVS Immersive Theater, Powers 123
 

A MISSION TO MAP LUNAR WATER ICE
VIPER is a NASA mission designed to explore the Moon’s extreme
polar environment in search of water ice. VIPER will land near at
“Mons Mouton” near the South Pole of the Moon and spend
approximately 100-days mapping and surveying four different “ice
stability regions”. This will help scientists better understand lunar
polar water and volatiles across the solar system. 
VIPER mission overview Rover design Lunar surface simulation Interactive mission operations

Terry Fong will present an overview of the VIPER mission, the
robot’s design, lunar surface simulation, and interactive mission
operations. During VIPER’s exploration of the Moon, the rover will
endure extreme temperature conditions (40K to 300K), dynamic lighting
and complex terrain, while near-real-time rover driving will present
new planetary mission operational challenges. VIPER is scheduled to
launch to the Moon in August 2027 on-board Blue Origin’s “New Glenn”
rocket and “Blue Moon Mark 1” (MK1) lunar lander.