NASA · Aerospace · 2027
Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover. Golf-cart-sized rover designed to search for water ice at the lunar south pole. Originally targeting a 2023 launch on Astrobotic's Griffin lander, then cancelled by NASA in July 2024 to cut costs, but revived in September 2025 with Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 as the new delivery vehicle. Will be the first rover specifically designed to operate in permanently shadowed lunar regions.
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View full interactive profile, comparisons & videos →| Category | Aerospace |
| Sub-type | Lunar Rover |
| Status | Announced |
| Year | 2027 |
| Origin | USA |
| Also known as | Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover |
| Announced | 2019 |
| Dimensions (H×W×D) | 2000 × 1500 × 1500 mm |
| Weight | 430 kg |
| Frame | Aluminum |
| Degrees of freedom | 4 |
| Payload | 50 kg |
| Max speed | 0.22 m/s |
| Chipset | BAE Systems RAD750 |
| Actuator type | 4 independently steered wheels with active suspension |
| Made in | USA (NASA Ames + Johnson Space Center) |
