Washington:NASA has announced significant progress in its efforts to develop both crewed and robotic lunar rovers, aiming to bolster lunar exploration and establish a permanent base on the Moon.

According to Wam, NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) is scheduled for a mission to the lunar South Pole region in 2027. This mission will focus on exploring permanently shadowed craters to search for water and other resources critical for future lunar missions. VIPER will be delivered to the lunar surface by Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 lander and is expected to cover more than 30 kilometers while collecting crucial data on temperatures, lighting conditions, and terrain.

In addition to VIPER, NASA has awarded task orders to Astrolab and Lunar Outpost for the development of lunar terrain vehicles (LTVs). These vehicles are designed to carry crew, transport equipment, and collect samples, and will be sent to the Moon ahead of crewed Artemis missions. Blue Origin has been tasked with delivering the LTVs to the lunar South Pole region by 2028.

These vehicles will enable astronauts to explore geologically diverse areas and can be remotely operated from Earth to map the lunar surface before the arrival of crews. They are engineered to travel up to 10 kilometers on a single battery charge, support up to three moonwalks per Artemis mission, and transport up to 80 kilograms of lunar samples and tools.