The Dumbest NASA Decision In Years? Why NASA is Being Forced To Ground Rover and Sent Ballast.

Summary

Scott Manley discusses the cancellation of NASA's Viper Rover mission due to budgetary constraints, despite the project nearing completion. The cancellation is mandated by a 2005 law that prohibits projects exceeding 30% over budget from continuing without congressional approval. Manley highlights the irony of NASA potentially sending a mass simulator instead of the Viper to the Moon and calls for political intervention or private funding to salvage the mission, emphasizing its importance for lunar exploration and future space endeavors.

Takeaways

• 📉 NASA recently held press conferences discussing the deorbiting of the International Space Station and the cancellation of the Viper Rover mission.
• 🛠️ Viper, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, was designed to explore the South Pole of the Moon with a drill and spectrometer to find ice.
• 🚀 Viper was to be delivered by the Griffin Lander, built by Astrobotic as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
• 💰 Due to budgetary constraints and laws, NASA has to replace the completed Viper Rover with a mass simulator on the Griffin Lander.
• 📉 The cancellation is partly due to the 2005 law that stops NASA from proceeding with projects exceeding 30% over their initial budget without congressional approval.
• 🔄 Delays and additional testing for the Griffin Lander contributed to the budget overrun, pushing the project over the 30% threshold.
• 🔧 The extra year of delay due to the Lander's postponement added costs for maintaining the project team and infrastructure, further increasing the budget.
• 🔬 The mission aimed to investigate the presence of water on the Moon, which is crucial for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and future human settlements.
• 🌑 The unique design of Viper accommodated the low sun angles at the lunar poles, with solar panels on the sides of the boxy rover for maximum sunlight exposure.
• 🔦 Viper was the first rover designed with its own lighting to explore permanently shadowed regions of the Moon.
• 🚨 The cancellation of Viper could be influenced by internal NASA policy debates or political moves, rather than purely operational or scientific reasons.

Q & A

Who is Scott Manley?

Scott Manley is the person speaking in the video transcript, likely a space enthusiast or commentator discussing recent NASA news.

What were the two NASA press conferences about?

The first press conference was about the deorbiting of the International Space Station, and the second was about the cancellation of the Viper Rover mission.

What is the Viper Rover?

The Viper Rover, or Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, is a 430 kg rover designed to explore the lunar South Pole, drill into the surface, and analyze ice using its spectrometer.

Why was the Viper Rover mission cancelled?

The mission was cancelled because the project exceeded its initial budget by more than 30%, triggering a legal requirement to halt the project unless additional funds are authorized by Congress.

What will NASA send instead of the Viper Rover?

NASA will send a mass simulator, which is essentially a chunk of mass, instead of the Viper Rover to fulfill the terms of the CLPS contract with Astrobotic.

What is the CLPS program?

The CLPS, or Commercial Lunar Payload Services, program is a NASA initiative to work with commercial partners to deliver payloads to the Moon.

What are the reasons for the Viper Rover project going over budget?

The project went over budget due to typical construction issues, pandemic-related supply delays, inflation, additional testing requirements for the Griffin Lander, and delays in the Lander's launch.

What are some potential ways to save the Viper Rover mission?

Potential ways to save the mission include getting additional funding authorized by Congress or finding a private partner or university to help fund the project.

What was the predecessor of the Viper Rover?

The predecessor of the Viper Rover was the Resource Prospector mission, which had a similar goal of exploring the lunar poles and analyzing water ice.

What are some unique features of the Viper Rover?

The Viper Rover has features like a neutron spectrometer, infrared spectrometer, mass spectrometer, and a drill. It is also designed with headlamps to explore permanently shadowed regions and has solar panels mounted on its sides due to the low Sun angles at the lunar poles.