NASA’s VIPER Mission to Map Water, Other Resources on Moon in 2023
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Source: NDTV 

What is the News? 

NASA has announced the launch of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover(VIPER) Mission in 2023. 

About VIPER Mission: 
  • VIPER Mission is a mobile robot to be launched by NASA in the year 2023. 
  • It will be the first resource mapping mission on any other celestial body. 
  • Celestial Body is any natural body outside the Earth’s atmosphere. Easy examples are the Moon, Sun, and the other planets of our solar system. 
Objectives of the Mission: 
  • To get a closer view of the Moon’s South Pole  
  • To evaluate the concentration of water as well as other potential resources on its surface 
  • To understand if it is possible for human life to sustain there, by using locally available resources. 
Significance of the Mission: 
  • VIPER will directly analyze water ice on the surface and subsurface of the Moon at varying depths and temperature conditions within four main soil environments.  
  • The data VIPER transmits back to Earth will be used to create resource maps helping scientists determine the location and concentration of water ice on the Moon. 
  • These findings will inform future landing sites under the Artemis Mission by helping to determine locations where water and other  resources can be harvested to sustain humans over extended stays. 
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