NASA just awarded a $190 million Moon mission to Blue Origin
NASA just signed Blue Origin for a $190 million mission: deliver the VIPER rover to the Moon's south pole by late 2027.
This move gives new life to VIPER, which was canceled back in July 2024 over budget and delay issues.
The catch? Blue Origin first has to prove it can safely land its Blue Moon MK1 lander by the end of 2025.
VIPER's mission
VIPER's a 100-day adventure—rolling into some of the Moon's darkest craters, searching for water ice and other important stuff that could help astronauts live there someday.
The rover comes loaded with a drill and spectrometers to map out resources.
While Blue Origin handles getting it there, NASA will drive and run the science from Earth.
NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program
This deal is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which lets private companies take on more risk (and helps keep costs down).
It also heats up competition with SpaceX and pushes forward America's bigger plans for a long-term home on the Moon through Artemis missions.