NASA pulls plug on $450 million VIPER Rover Mission, eyes new lunar projects

NASA has cancelled its $450 million VIPER mission, citing cost increases, delays, and future risks. Despite this, NASA remains committed to lunar exploration, emphasizing the use of technology developed for VIPER in future missions. NASA will repurpose VIPER's components and seek interest from partners to use the rover system. The decision allows NASA to preserve funds and focus on other missions, including the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) in 2024 and future lunar initiatives under the Artemis and CLPS programs.