Blue Origin Books Potential $190M NASA Contract to Deliver VIPER Rover to Moon’s South Pole

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NASA has tapped Blue Origin for a potential $190 million Commercial Lunar Payload Service task order to deliver the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover to the Moon’s south pole in late 2027.

Commercial Lunar Payload Service Task Order Scope & Option

The agency said Friday, Blue Origin will utilize the Blue Moon MK1 robotic lander to transport VIPER to the lunar surface to search for ice and other volatile resources to support future Moon and Mars missions. The company is developing its second MK1 lander and will oversee payload integration, mission planning and post-landing deployment. NASA will manage rover operations and science planning.

The CS-7 task order is structured to minimize NASA’s risks. The agency will evaluate Blue Origin’s design accommodations, how the rover will be offloaded on the Moon’s surface and the results of the first MK1 lander mission before deciding whether to proceed with the delivery.

Initial CLPS Delivery

Blue Origin’s first CLPS mission, scheduled for late 2025, will also use an MK1 lander to deliver NASA’s Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies and Laser Retroreflective Array payloads to the lunar south pole.

“Our rover will explore the extreme environment of the lunar South Pole, traveling to small, permanently shadowed regions to help inform future landing sites for our astronauts and better understand the Moon’s environment,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy.