WASHINGTON / RankWire.AI / – NASA has shared updates on its planned crewed and robotic lunar rovers, crucial components in establishing a permanent presence on the Moon. The agency posted a Moon Base video update on Tuesday, October 20, detailing both science-focused robotic vehicles and crew transporters. Robert Pickle, who oversees the Surface Mobility Office in the Moon Base Program, emphasized that lunar rovers are vital to NASA’s surface mobility approach.
Scheduled for 2027, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, will explore the Moon’s South Pole, specifically targeting permanently shadowed craters to locate water and other vital resources for future crews. A Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 1 lander will deliver the rover to its landing site. VIPER is anticipated to traverse over 30 kilometers, collecting data on temperature, light, and terrain conditions.
Currently, the rover is fully assembled at Johnson Space Center in Houston and is undergoing final testing before being transferred to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch. During its 100-day mission, VIPER will be operated by engineers at Ames Research Center in California. In September 2025, Blue Origin secured the delivery contract through a Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order valued at up to $190 million.
Astrolab and Lunar Outpost develop crew-capable lunar vehicles
Task orders have been awarded to Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to create lunar terrain vehicles designed to carry astronauts, transport equipment, and gather samples. Astrolab is working on its CLV-1, based on the company’s FLEX platform, while Lunar Outpost is developing Pegasus—a lighter, two-astronaut version of its Eagle rover. Both companies aim to deliver operational vehicles to NASA by the end of 2027, with Blue Origin responsible for landing them at the South Pole by 2028.
These vehicles will be positioned on the Moon ahead of crewed Artemis missions. Earth-based controllers will operate them remotely, with daily ranges reaching up to 6 kilometers for surface mapping. Each full battery charge enables travel of up to 10 kilometers. Capable of supporting three moonwalks per Artemis mission and transporting up to 80 kilograms of samples and tools, these rovers must endure temperatures as low as minus 203 degrees Celsius in permanently shadowed regions.
Prototypes and missions set milestones
Lunar Outpost has scheduled its preliminary design review for October, while Astrolab expects to complete theirs by the end of December. As part of its development, Astrolab has delivered a CLV-1 mockup to Axiom Space for astronaut evaluation, and Lunar Outpost has produced two mockups, sending a third static version to Johnson Space Center. The FLIP rover from Astrolab is slated to fly aboard Griffin Mission One in late 2026, with a second Lunar Outpost MAPP rover launching in early 2027.
This rover development effort follows NASA’s return to crewed lunar missions with the Artemis II mission in April. Blue Origin plans to launch its Blue Moon landers on the New Glenn rocket. NASA states that terrain vehicles will enable astronauts to access geologically diverse regions of the Moon, using VIPER’s data to identify where water ice can be found. Overall, the combination of robotic and crewed rovers aims to sustain a long-term human presence at the lunar South Pole.