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

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.