What will happen to VIPER? NASA shifts into reverse on canceled moon rover
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
It seems NASA's ice-hunting VIPER rover won't be hitching a ride to the moon as a part of a private sector partnership, as the space agency had previously sought.
The Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover (VIPER) has had a rocky, uncertain year. NASA announced its cancellation last summer over budget concerns, then opened a solicitation request for private sector partnerships in an attempt to get VIPER to the moon at no additional cost to the government. On Wednesday (May 7), NASA announced the cancellation of that search, and thanked the companies that submitted proposals.
'We appreciate the efforts of those who proposed to the Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership Announcement for Partnership Proposals call,' NASA's Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Nicky Fox said in the statement. "We look forward to accomplishing future volatiles science with VIPER as we continue NASA's Moon to Mars exploration efforts.'
VIPER is designed to hunt for water ice deposits near the moon's south pole — an area of interest to NASA, as it plans to establish a permanent presence there as a part of the Artemis program. VIPER was designed to help assess potentially life-supporting resources ahead of those future crewed installations.
Originally, VIPER was slated to land on the lunar surface aboard Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic's Griffin lander, as a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Griffin is expected to launch to the moon later this year, but will now be carrying Astrolab's FLIP moon rover instead.
Last July, NASA said that the VIPER cancellation would save the space agency about $84 million in development costs, in addition to its initial $250 million estimation and more than $250 million in projected over costs. Now, with NASA no longer seeking partnerships for VIPER in the private sector, it is unclear how the rover will get to the moon.
Related stories:
— NASA unveils landing site on the moon for ice-hunting VIPER rover
— VIPER back from the dead? NASA asks US companies to partner on ice-hunting moon rover
— NASA picks 9 companies to develop Mars 'commercial services' ideas
The Trump administration's recently released "skinny budget" proposes to reduce NASA's funding by 24%. More than half of that cut would come from the Science Mission Directorate, painting an unclear future not only for VIPER but a slew of other missions as well.
In the meantime, VIPER is fully assembled and ready to launch, save its need for a lander to ferry it to the lunar surface and a rocket to launch it into space. "The agency will announce a new strategy for VIPER in the future," NASA said in Wednesday's statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Under Armour (UAA) Jumps 13.9% After $400-Million Debt Offer
Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE:UAA) is one of the Under Armour ended two straight days of losses on Friday, jumping 13.94 percent to end at $7.03 apiece after announcing plans to raise $400 million through the issuance of debt. In a statement earlier this week, Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE:UAA) said the notes carry a yield rate of 7.25 percent and will be paid semi-annually. The notes are senior, unsecured obligations, and will mature in 2030. The sale is expected to close on Monday, June 23. According to Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE:UAA), net proceeds will be used to pay off its $600 million 3.25 percent senior notes due 2026. In recent news, Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE:UAA) extended its exclusive apparel partnership with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) through 2029. Leonard Zhukovsky / Under Armour, Inc.'s (NYSE:UAA) relationship with the CIAA began in 2018 after Russell Athletic exited the collegiate uniform space. The partnership gave exclusive access to UA uniforms, gear, footwear, and training equipment. While we acknowledge the potential of UAA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oscar Health (OSCR) Soars 13% on Fourth Straight Day, Here's Why
Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE:OSCR) is one of the Oscar Health extended its winning streak to a fourth consecutive day on Friday, jumping 13.05 percent to close at $21.22 apiece as investor sentiment was influenced by the previous days' surge. During the shortened, four-day trading week, shares of Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE:OSCR) already grew by 52 percent, with analysts pointing to meme trading as having buoyed its share prices. Additionally, investor sentiment was supported by a new proposal for Medicare that would allow individuals and employers to enroll in a new version called 'Part E.' A close up of a patient and a healthcare professional engaging in conversation, showing the company's commitment to patient care. While this would heighten competition with private insurers such as Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE:OSCR), the voluntary enrollment could potentially delay or prevent Medicare's sooner-than-expected insolvency. While we acknowledge the potential of OSCR as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CoreWeave (CRWV) Jumps 8% on Rosy Growth Prospects
CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) is one of the CoreWeave grew its share prices by 7.99 percent on Friday to hit a new all-time high, as investors continued to load up positions amid rosy growth prospects. At intraday trading, shares of CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) jumped as high as 10 percent to hit $187, before paring gains to finish the day at $170, as investors appeared to have flocked to the booming Artificial Intelligence industry for safety to mitigate risks from the ongoing geopolitical tensions. In recent news, CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) announced a record-breaking performance from using 2,496 of Nvidia Corp.'s latest Grace Blackwell Chips on its AI-optimized cloud platform, making its submission the largest-ever benchmarked under MLPerf. In March this year, CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) bagged an $11.9-billion deal with OpenAI and welcomed it as a new investor through the sale of $350 million CRWV stocks to the latter. Last month, OpenAI upsized the deal with another $4 billion worth of contract. A close-up of a network administrator's hands working on a cloud computing server. Last month, it was tapped by Aston Martin Aramco as its official AI cloud computing partner, where it will provide AI-accelerated engineering opportunities to support car design efficiency. While we acknowledge the potential of CRWV as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
