Blue Origin wins NASA deal to ferry VIPER rover to lunar south pole

NASA has awarded a contract to Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, to transport the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the lunar south pole. VIPER is a mobile robot that will search for water ice and other resources on the Moon, which could be crucial for future human exploration and utilization of the lunar surface. The deal, worth $279.5 million, will see Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket launch the VIPER rover to the Moon, where it will study the composition and distribution of lunar water ice and other resources. This mission is part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon by the end of the decade. The VIPER mission is a crucial step in understanding the Moon's resources and paving the way for future lunar exploration and potential resource utilization. Blue Origin's selection for this contract underscores the company's growing role in NASA's plans for the Moon.