Narrator: We know from decades of study
that the Moon has water.
But where? And how much?
In 2023, a robotic rover will explore
the Moon's surface in search of water ice.
NASA's VIPER Moon rover will perform the first
resource mapping mission on another world,
using advanced instruments and tools to determine
the location and concentration of water on the Moon.
Thomas Zurbuchen: To send VIPER to the Moon,
we're leveraging industry as part of our
Commerical Lunar Payload Services program.
A program designed to send science instruments
and technology payloads to the surface of the Moon.
VIPER represents a very different
development paradigm.
We are developing each instrument for launch on
a CLPS ahead of VIPER, totally flipping on its head
how we normally do this.
This is truly creative.
An industry partner will launch VIPER
to the Moon's South Pole.
This is a place where no human or rover
has ever been before.
Narrator: The rover's survey will provide
scientists with the most detailed view of
the Moon's water to date and point to spots where
water could be harvested by future astronauts.
Lori Glaze: VIPER will be the first
resource-mapping mission on the surface
of another celestial body.
It represents a new kind of mission for NASA
in which the objectives of advancing science
and human exploration are closer than ever.
The measurements that VIPER's instruments will
make can help us understand the source and
distribution of the water and other volatiles
on the Moon, giving us insight into the evolution
of the Moon and the Earth-Moon system.
The Moon's water is also a precious resource that
could be extracted to support human exploration
of the Moon and beyond.
What we learn from VIPER will bring us a step closer
to developing a sustainable, long-term
human presence on the Moon.
(Background music swells and fades out)