WASHINGTON / RankWire.AI / – NASA has showcased its latest advancements in both crewed and robotic lunar vehicles as part of the preparations for establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon. The agency unveiled a Moon Base video update on Tuesday, October 20, which covers various robotic science rovers alongside the transportation units designed to carry astronauts. Robert Pickle, who manages the Surface Mobility Office within the Moon Base Program, emphasized that lunar rovers are vital components of NASA’s surface mobility plans.
Scheduled for 2027, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, known as VIPER, will explore the Moon’s South Pole region. Its mission includes studying permanently shadowed craters for water and other resources critical for future lunar missions. The rover will be delivered to the surface by a Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 1 lander. VIPER is projected to cover over 30 kilometers, collecting data on temperature, lighting conditions, and terrain features.
Currently, VIPER is fully assembled at Houston’s Johnson Space Center and undergoing final testing. Once complete, it will be transported to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch. During its approximately 100-day mission, the rover will be operated remotely by engineers at Ames Research Center in California. The delivery contract, awarded to Blue Origin in September 2025 via a Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order, is valued at up to $190 million.
Astrolab and Lunar Outpost are developing crew-capable lunar rovers
NASA has issued task orders to Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to design lunar terrain vehicles that can transport astronauts, carry equipment, and gather samples. Astrolab is creating its CLV-1, an adaptation based on the company’s FLEX platform. Meanwhile, Lunar Outpost is working on Pegasus, a lighter variant of its Eagle rover designed for two astronauts. Both companies aim to deliver operational vehicles to NASA by the end of 2027, with Blue Origin tasked with landing them at the South Pole by 2028.
These vehicles will be positioned on the Moon prior to crewed Artemis missions. Ground controllers will be able to operate them remotely, allowing for daily traversals of up to 6 kilometers to map the terrain. Each full battery charge can support trips of 10 kilometers, and a rover can facilitate up to three moonwalks per Artemis mission, carrying as much as 80 kilograms of samples and tools. The vehicles are built to endure temperatures as low as minus 203 degrees Celsius in shadowed regions.
Progressing prototypes and initial missions are moving forward
Lunar Outpost is preparing for its preliminary design review in October, while Astrolab anticipates completing its review by the end of December. Additionally, Astrolab has provided a CLV-1 mockup to Axiom Space for astronaut evaluation. Lunar Outpost has manufactured two mockups and sent a static version to Johnson Space Center. Astrolab’s FLIP rover is scheduled to fly on Griffin Mission One in late 2026, with a second Lunar Outpost MAPP rover set for launch in early 2027.
This rover development effort follows NASA’s return to crewed lunar flights with the Artemis II mission in April. Blue Origin has plans to launch its Blue Moon landers aboard the New Glenn rocket. According to NASA, these terrain vehicles will enable astronauts to reach geologically diverse areas of the Moon, with VIPER’s data being crucial in planning locations with accessible water ice. The combined efforts of robotic and crewed rovers are designed to facilitate a sustainable human presence at the lunar South Pole.