Blue Origin wins NASA deal to ferry VIPER rover to lunar south pole

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8:55 AM PDT · September 22, 2025
            
        
    


    

        

            

                
On September 22, 2025, Blue Origin secured a significant NASA contract for the delivery of the VIPER rover to the moon, heralding a renewed commitment to both lunar exploration and the potential of the Blue Moon lander.

                
This contract revives the VIPER rover mission, which faced cancellation last year due to production delays and budget concerns.

                
According to the agreement, Blue Origin will transport VIPER—an abbreviation for “Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover”—via its Blue Moon MK1 lander. Additionally, the company has received a separate contract for a human-rated lander through NASA’s Artemis program, which is independent of this lunar mission.

                
This award was authorized under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, amounting to approximately $190 million. The Blue Moon MK1 lander is set to target a location near the lunar south pole, a region believed to contain substantial reserves of water ice. VIPER’s mission will involve drilling into the lunar surface to substantiate these findings.

                
The journey of VIPER has been tumultuous. Initially, NASA chose Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic in 2020 to deliver the rover using its Griffin lander, with the contract valued at $199.5 million. However, delays on both the rover and lander prompted NASA to cancel the VIPER mission in July 2024, citing escalating costs, despite having much of the equipment already developed.

                
The decision met with backlash from lawmakers and the scientific community. Following this, NASA sought input from U.S. companies on how to utilize the pre-existing rover without incurring extra expenses for the government.

                
For Blue Origin, winning this contract is a pivotal victory. This marks Blue Moon’s inaugural scientific payload and affirmatively places it on a timeline—targeting late 2027. Furthermore, it serves as a strong endorsement of Blue Origin’s lunar objectives, building upon the company’s prior success with the Human Landing System contract.

                

                    

                        
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VIPER, comparable in size to a golf cart, is programmed to operate on the lunar landscape for approximately 100 days. Its mission encompasses traversing the surface, conducting prospecting activities, and drilling to locate water ice deposits. The rover is outfitted with a suite of instruments, including a drill and three spectrometers which are designed to identify water, hydrogen, and other vital minerals.

                
The findings from VIPER are crucial for NASA’s future scientific directives and establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon. The ability to extract resources on-site—rather than relying on shipments from Earth—will be instrumental. Water ice may eventually be converted into drinkable water, breathable oxygen, and even rocket propellant for further space missions.
            
            

                

                    

                        

                            
Aria Alamalhodaei, a seasoned reporter covering the space and defense sectors for TechCrunch, offers insights into the evolving landscape of lunar exploration. With a rich background in public utilities and energy, her expertise extends to notable publications such as MIT’s Undark Magazine and The Verge. Alamalhodaei holds an MA in Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London and resides in Austin, Texas.

                            
You can reach out to Aria via email at aria.techcrunch@gmail.com or through an encrypted message on Signal at +1 512-937-3988.
                        
                    
                
            
        
    

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