NASA’s cutting-edge moon rover prototype, VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover), recently triumphed over a challenging obstacle course designed to simulate the treacherous terrain of the lunar surface. The rover is set to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in November 2024, with its destination being the moon’s south pole. To gauge its mobility, NASA engineers at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland crafted a simulated lunar environment complete with towering rocks, steep slopes, and deep craters.
VIPER’s intended landing spot is Mons Mouton, a mountain adjacent to the moon’s south pole. Once it touches down near the western rim of Nobile crater, VIPER will diligently study the lunar environment over the course of approximately 100 days. The insights gained from this mission will inform the selection of future landing sites within NASA’s Artemis program.
Delighting space enthusiasts, NASA released a thrilling video showcasing the rover’s recent mobility tests, successfully demonstrating its ability to overcome potential obstacles on the lunar surface. During these trials, VIPER nimbly traversed sizeable rocks and deftly negotiated quicksand-like soil while ascending steep inclines and maneuvering around craters.
One of the primary goals of NASA’s Artemis program is to establish a permanent settlement at the moon’s south pole. VIPER will be instrumental in identifying locations where vital resources, such as water, can be harvested to sustain human habitation during extended stays on the moon. Additionally, the VIPER mission aims to shed light on unresolved questions regarding the origins of frozen water and other volatile substances on the lunar surface. NASA officials seek to understand how these resources came to be, their long-term preservation mechanisms, and where they go after escaping the lunar soil.
In a separate development, engineers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston recently conducted rigorous tests on VIPER’s final science instrument, aptly named TRIDENT (The Regolith Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain). This drill, the fourth and last science instrument to enter the construction site of VIPER, was subject to meticulous pre-integration inspections. TRIDENT’s purpose is to extract soil samples from depths of up to three feet beneath the lunar surface. Employing a rotary percussive drilling technique, it expertly spins while hammering to fracture solid materials. Additionally, TRIDENT will measure the compactness and strength of the lunar soil, as well as the temperature below the surface.
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