Ever dreamed of landing on the moon? You may not be able to do in reality now, but you can send your name on lunar surface with VIPER, NASA’s first robotic lunar rover.
VIPER or Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover is set to explore the south pole of the moon in search of water and associated resources. According to NASA, VIPER will “unravel the mysteries of the Moon’s water and better understand the environment where NASA plans to land the first woman and first person of color under its Artemis program.” In this article, we will discuss about this mission and how you can send your name in the moon.
VIPER, a four-wheeled rover is preparing to roam around the South Pole of the Moon, a comparatively unexplored region. Using a drill and important instruments, VIPER rover will analyse the soil to measure water and other volatiles both quantitatively and qualitatively. Generally, Volatiles are a group of substances that easily get evaporated like water, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and methane. These substances will help scientists in future lunar missions as they may provide water, oxygen, and fuel. This is an integral part of NASA’s prestigious Artemis program, aiming to land human by 2026, and establish a sustainable presence of human by the end of the decade.
NASA has introduced a campaign named “Send Your Name with VIPER”, allowing anyone to submit their name via online method to receive a virtual boarding pass for this VIPER mission. After storing on a flash drive, these names will be attached to the VIPER rover and sent to the moon. You can get your virtual boarding pass until March 15, 2024. Visit the official website of NASA to apply for the same, and download your boarding pass to share it on social media platforms using the hashtag #SendYourName.
Earlier, millions of people have sent their names to space with Artemis I, Mars 2020, and Europa Clipper mission.
By registering your name for VIPER mission, you will become a part of such historic mission to explore the Moon in detail. It is an exciting and fun way of showing support for space science.
VIPER is slotted to launch in second half of 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. It will be launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. VIPER will be sent to the moon by Griffin lander, developed by Astrobotic Technologies. Griffin lander is scheduled to land near the rim of Nobile Crater, a large and permanently shadowed crater located at the South Pole of the Moon. As per the schedule, after landing, VIPER will conduct a 100-day mission, drilling up to 3 feet deep, encompassing approximately 10 miles of land.
VIPER will be the first-ever rover to conduct any operation in the extreme conditions of the lunar South Pole. Generally, this place is known to be extremely cold with a minimum temperature of -280 degrees Fahrenheit due scarcity of sunlight. Meanwhile, VIPER will one of the first spacecraft to use artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy to navigate and operate in the dark terrain avoiding hazards of rocks and craters.
VIPER's impact on the upcoming space exploration is significant. It will help understanding the prime locations for landing or even constructing habitats on lunar surface.
Apart from identifying potential resources for water, oxygen, and fuel, VIPER mission will showcase advanced methods to deliver equipment and execute lunar missions
VIPER mission aims to fuel inspiration among the young generation of scientists, encouraging them to pursue their space-related dreams.
