1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000
VIPER's flight to the Moon is part of NASA's

2
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,000
Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS,

3
00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,000
project, an initiative leveraging the capabilities

4
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,000
of commercial industry to send scientific

5
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,000
instruments and technology demonstrations to the

6
00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,000
Moon quickly. As part of its award, Astrobotic is

7
00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,000
responsible for end-to-end services for delivery

8
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,000
of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover,

9
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,000
including integration with its Griffin lander,

10
00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:20,000
launch from Earth and landing in a polar region on the Moon.

11
00:00:20,000 --> 00:03:12,640
(Silent.  No sound on animations.)

12
00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:14,200
Thomas Zurbuchen: VIPER represents a very

13
00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,060
different development paradigm.

14
00:03:16,060 --> 00:03:18,820
We are developing each instrument for launch

15
00:03:18,820 --> 00:03:21,780
on a CLPS ahead of VIPER, totally flipping

16
00:03:21,780 --> 00:03:23,880
on its head how we normally do this.

17
00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,120
This is truly creative.

18
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,580
The VIPER mission will bring us a significant step

19
00:03:29,580 --> 00:03:33,330
closer to NASA's ultimate goal of sustainable,

20
00:03:33,330 --> 00:03:37,120
long-term presence on the Moon, making it possible

21
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:42,160
for humans to eventually explore Mars and beyond.

22
00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:43,410


23
00:03:43,410 --> 00:03:45,110
Lori Glaze: VIPER will be the first resource

24
00:03:45,110 --> 00:03:47,340
mapping mission on the surface of another

25
00:03:47,340 --> 00:03:49,810
celestial body.

26
00:03:49,810 --> 00:03:52,680
VIPER will get a close-up view of a location where

27
00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,540
we believe water ice may be present and will

28
00:03:55,540 --> 00:03:58,750
measure water ice concentration on the Moon

29
00:03:58,750 --> 00:04:01,760
for the first time.

30
00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,070
With this close-up view, we can begin to develop

31
00:04:05,070 --> 00:04:08,250
water resource maps of the Moon that identify

32
00:04:08,250 --> 00:04:13,700
the best potential spots to harvest water ice.

33
00:04:13,700 --> 00:04:17,520
Water is extremely critical for deep space exploration.

34
00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,280
It is a resource of direct value for humans

35
00:04:20,280 --> 00:04:23,020
and can be turned into oxygen for respiration

36
00:04:23,020 --> 00:04:27,410
and hydrogen as fuel supply.

37
00:04:27,410 --> 00:04:29,590
The measurements that VIPER's instruments will

38
00:04:29,590 --> 00:04:32,200
make can help us understand the source and

39
00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,760
distribution of the water and other volatiles on

40
00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,640
the Moon, giving us insight into the evolution

41
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,515
of the Moon and the Earth-Moon system.