NASA's VIPER rover to land near Nobile Crater at Moon’s South Pole

The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) will land near the western edge of the Nobile Crater at the Moon's South Pole, one of the coldest areas in the solar system, the U.S. space agency said on Tuesday.

NASA has finalized the landing location for its Artemis robotic rover. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) will land near the western edge of the Nobile Crater at the Moon's South Pole, one of the coldest areas in the solar system, the U.S. space agency said on Tuesday.

The robotic rover will be delivered to the Moon's surface in late 2023 under the Artemis program and part of the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

🌒 News: Our robotic VIPER rover will land near the western edge of the Nobile Crater at the Moon's South Pole. The site has never been explored from the lunar surface. There, it will search for water & resources to support #Artemis missions: https://t.co/fyDAhxKe6k pic.twitter.com/pKNqHWOKkW

— NASA (@NASA) September 20, 2021

According to NASA, Nobile Crater was formed through a collision with another smaller celestial body, and is almost permanently covered in shadows, allowing ice to exist there. Smaller, more accessible craters surrounding Nobile's perimeter, will also provide VIPER with ideal locations to investigate in its search for ice and other resources.

During its 100-day journey, the robotic rover will get a close-up view of the location and concentration of ice and other resources. Using its sensors and drill, the rover will collect samples from at least three drill locations, analysis of which will help scientists to better predict where else ice may be present on the lunar surface based on similar terrain.

The science produced by VIPER will enable scientists to better understand the distribution of resources on the Moon, assisting in the advancement of science and human exploration as part of Artemis missions that aim to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon by 2024.

"Selecting a landing site for VIPER is an exciting and important decision for all of us. Years of study have gone into evaluating the polar region VIPER will explore. VIPER is going into uncharted territory - informed by science - to test hypotheses and reveal critical information for future human space exploration," said Daniel Andrews, VIPER project manager.