WASHINGTON / RankWire.AI / – NASA has provided an update on its plans to develop both crewed and robotic lunar vehicles that will facilitate exploration and lay the foundation for a permanent Moon base. During a Moon Base video update on Tuesday, October 20, the agency shared progress on these projects. The plans include the VIPER robotic rover and new lunar terrain vehicles designed for astronauts. Robert Pickle, director of the Surface Mobility Office in NASA’s Moon Base Program, emphasized that lunar rovers are at the heart of the agency’s surface mobility strategy.
The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, known as VIPER, is scheduled to arrive at the lunar South Pole in 2027. Its mission is to explore permanently shadowed craters in search of water and other resources essential for supporting future lunar missions. VIPER will be delivered to the surface via Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander. The rover is capable of traveling over 30 kilometers and will collect data on temperature, lighting, and terrain conditions.
Constructed entirely at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, VIPER is currently undergoing final testing before its shipment to Kennedy Space Center for launch. Mission operations will be managed from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. In September 2025, NASA selected Blue Origin to deliver the rover under a Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order valued at up to $190 million. The planned mission duration is 100 days, with findings that could influence future lunar water resource utilization.
Terrain vehicles designed to transport astronauts
NASA has awarded task orders to Astrolab and Lunar Outpost for the development of lunar terrain vehicles (LTVs). These vehicles will transport crews, equipment, and samples across the lunar surface. Astrolab’s CLV-1 is based on its FLEX rover design, while Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus is a lighter evolution of its Eagle vehicle. Both firms aim to deliver operational hardware by the end of 2027. Additionally, NASA awarded Blue Origin a task order for delivering the LTVs to the lunar South Pole region by 2028.
The LTVs are set to arrive on the Moon before crewed Artemis missions. They can be remotely operated from Earth to map the terrain ahead of astronaut landings, with coverage of up to 6 kilometers daily. Each vehicle can travel up to 10 kilometers on a single battery charge and support up to three moonwalks during each Artemis mission. They are capable of carrying up to 80 kilograms of lunar samples and tools and must endure temperatures as low as minus 203 degrees Celsius in shadowed zones.
Upcoming tests and design evaluations
Both companies are progressing through key design milestones. Lunar Outpost’s preliminary design review was scheduled for October, while Astrolab’s is planned for late December. Astrolab has already delivered a CLV-1 mockup to Axiom Space for astronaut testing, and Lunar Outpost has built two mockups with a third static model delivered to Johnson Space Center. In late 2026, Astrolab’s FLIP rover will participate in Griffin Mission One, with a second Lunar Outpost MAPP rover launching in early 2027.
The rover initiatives complement NASA’s renewed focus on deep-space crewed missions. The Artemis II mission set a record for the farthest human spaceflight in April. Blue Origin plans to launch its Blue Moon landers aboard its New Glenn rocket. NASA states these vehicles will enable astronauts to explore geologically diverse regions of the lunar surface, with the rovers playing a vital role in establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon.