BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Have you ever dreamed of exploring unknown parts of the moon? Well NASA is inviting people to send their names to the surface of the Moon aboard the agency’s first robotic lunar rover, VIPER.
VIPER is short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover.
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VIPER will explore the lunar South Pole getting an up close-up view of ice and other resources at the Moon’s South Pole, helping to unravel the mysteries of the Moon’s water and better understand the Moon’s environment where NASA plans to land the first woman and first person of color under its Artemis program.
“With VIPER, we are going to study and explore parts of the Moon’s surface no one has ever been to before – and with this campaign, we are inviting the world to be part of that risky yet rewarding journey,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Just think: Our names will ride along as VIPER navigates across the rugged terrain of the lunar South Pole and gathers valuable data that will help us better understand the history of the Moon and the environment where we plan to send Artemis astronauts.”
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This campaign draws from the agency’s long tradition of shipping inspirational messages on spacecraft that have explored our solar system and beyond.
Tens of millions of people have sent their names on previous mission like Artemis I, several Mars spacecraft, and the agency’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission.
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“Our VIPER is a game-changer,” said Daniel Andrews, VIPER’s project manager at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. “It’s the first mission of its kind, expanding our understanding of where lunar resources could be harvested to support a long-term human presence on the Moon.”
As part of the “Send Your Name with VIPER” campaign, NASA will accept names received before 11:59 p.m. EST, March 15. Once collected, the agency will take the names and attach them to the rover.
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To add your name, CLICK HERE. https://www.nasa.gov/send-your-name-with-viper
According to a news release from NASA, In late 2024, “Astrobotic Technologies’ Griffin Mission One is scheduled to deliver VIPER to the lunar surface after launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station”
NASA’s VIPER delivery is part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative under the Artemis program and will rely on solar panels and batteries to complete is 100-day mission.
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