NASA rolls out new VIPER lunar rover for Artemis tests; Moon landing set for 2023

Upping the preparations for Artemis Moon missions, NASA has begun the latest round of testing of its VIPER rover prototype in SLOPE at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. According to the agency, this was the third mobility test of the rover wherein the engineers collected crucial data on the software mobility controls, the onboard navigation system, and mobility performance over hazards and on loose soil. Short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, VIPER's original model is targeted for the Moon landing in 2023 under the Artemis mission.

In the above clip shared by NASA, the rover can be seen treading in a sand-filled terrain while overcoming obstructions in its path. This is the specialty of the SLOPE lab which creates a simulated lunar terrain for engineers to test the rovers. 

Contributions of SLOPE lab

NASA's SLOPE lab, which is short for Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory, has multiple sandboxes, which can be used to mimic the terrains of the Moon and Mars. Testing rovers in SLOPE helps scientists evaluate the capabilities, traction performance, and limitations of the rover. "As rovers become more sophisticated and complex, the team at SLOPE is adding unique capabilities to help simulate terrain conditions and test rover performance prior to launch", NASA said in a previous statement.

Testing the new MGRU3

The latest prototype that NASA tested is called the Moon Gravitation Representative Unit 3 (MGRU3) and is being tested for the last two weeks on various obstacles and up steep slopes. NASA says that this version of the prototype has the same wheel design and base size as the rover that will land on the Moon in 2023.

Besides, it is also equipped with the newest version of the flight software along with other features such as flight design motors, gearboxes, and joints. Once the engineers are done testing the latest prototype, another rover, which would be 'even more flight-like will arrive at the SLOPE lab for verification and validation testing. "It is comparable to the final exam where the rover will need to prove it’s capable of meeting design requirements with its hardware, software, and electronics", NASA said in its statement. 

(Image: Twitter/@NASA)