NASA's VIPER rover is 'ready to go' after 'most realistic simulation' of Moon landing

NASA’s robotic Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), which will soon touch down on the lunar surface, underwent one of the trickiest parts of its mission. In a recent update, the agency revealed that engineers at the Glenn Research Center conducted the most realistic test of the rover’s landing on the Moon. The test was basically driving off the rover from its Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander, a platform that will be raised a few feet above the surface. 

The VIPER is planned to land on the Moon in 2023 on the lunar south pole for a 100-day mission. Its aim will be to map the Nobile crater and its unexplored regions and conclude if ice or any other potential resources exist in those areas. These resources, if found, could help sustain astronauts on future Artemis moon missions. 

NASA Glenn conducts the most realistic rover testing

(VIPER being driven off from the Astrobotic Griffin lunar lander; Image: NASA)

The testing was realistic in the sense that the engineers used the latest prototype lander and a robotic prototype of the Moon rover. The goal of the test was to ensure if VIPER is able to handle the roll-out onto the lunar surface. During the test, the mission team stripped down the rover’s heavier components to make it lighter. This was done to accurately simulate the conditions found on the lunar surface since the Moon has lesser gravity. 

NASA said that this testing version of VIPER helped the team verify if every aspect of the system is working as intended and the results would be used when the rover actually lands on the Moon. 

Exciting tests await VIPER

Needless to say, the rover will undergo many more tests before the robotic explorer is fine-tuned for its mission. NASA revealed that the rover will now be subjected to a Regolith testbed at NASA's Ames Research Center which houses a facility that can realistically reproduce the lighting and dusty terrain of the Moon’s environment. Earlier this year, another prototype of the lunar rover was tested at Glenn's SLOPE facility to prepare for the loose soil and obstructions likely to be encountered by the rover. Read more about the test here.