NASA’s lunar rover continues to pass tests with UCF assist

Climbing boulders and rolling through quicksand-like conditions, NASA’s latest lunar rover is getting ready to take on the alien terrain of the moon.

For now, it’s passing tests in Cleveland at NASA’s Glenn Research Center. Recently, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) prototype passed its test of conquering a lunar obstacle course, NASA said.

And while the rover tests from afar, VIPER is getting some assistance in preparation thanks to the University of Central Florida, which sold NASA lunar simulated rocks from its Exolith Lab.

UCF’s lab, which is managed a mile north of its main campus, produces alien-simulated soil imitating properties found on the moon, Mars and other celestial bodies. In June, VIPER completed mobility testing at the SLOPE Lab in the Glenn Center with rocks provided by UCF’s Exolith Lab. Previously, NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California ordered 20 tons of lunar simulated soil from UCF to

test VIPER’s mechanical and optical systems, which it passed as well.

July’s test involved different simulant in a different arena — Glenn Research Center’s Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) Laboratory, said NASA spokesperson Rachel Hoover.

“SLOPE is a large indoor lab that features several large lunar- and- Martianlike regolith bins, including a 30-degree tilt bed, capable of

simulating multiple scenarios a rover may experience while on the moon or Mars,” Hoover said.

The obstacle course helped VIPER engineers test its Moon Gravitation Representative Unit 3 — a feature with motor controllers designed to help VIPER handle challenging conditions on the lunar surface. One such feature included VIPER’s ability to wiggle its wheels like a worm and inch

its way out from being stuck.

On July 18, NASA announced it was delaying VIPER’s delivery to the moon’s south pole until November 2024. Previously it was scheduled to land on the moon in November 2023 with Astrobotic of Pittsburgh delivering the rover onboard its Griffin Lunar Lander.

The delay resulted from NASA’s request of Astrobotic to perform more

ground testing to the Griffin lander, hoping to reduce risk, NASA said. NASA is providing an additional $67 million to its contract with Astrobotic totaling $320.4 million. Originally, Astrobotic

was contracted for $199.5 million.

NASA AMES/DANIEL RUTTER Illustration of NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) on the surface of the Moon.

NASA The VIPER engineering team observe the rover prototype’s ability to navigate the fluffy lunar soil simulant in the SLOPE lab at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.