US space agency NASA is inviting people to send their names to the surface of the Moon aboard its first robotic lunar rover VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover). The Moon rover is scheduled to lift off atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in late 2024. VIPER will hunt for water ice and other resources near the moon's south pole - the same area where NASA plans to set up one more crewed base via the agency's Artemis program.
"As part of the "Send Your Name with VIPER" campaign, NASA will accept names received before 11:59 p.m. EST, March 15. Once collected, the agency will take the names and attach them to the rover," the space agency wrote in a blog while sharing the link to the website where people can send their name to the lunar surface.
Nicola Fox, Associate Administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, expressed the importance of the moon mission, stating, "With VIPER, we are going to study and explore parts of the Moon's surface no one has ever been to before - and with this campaign, we are inviting the world to be part of that risky yet rewarding journey."
"Just think: Our names will ride along as VIPER navigates across the rugged terrain of the lunar South Pole and gathers valuable data that will help us better understand the history of the Moon and the environment where we plan to send Artemis astronauts," Mr Fox added.
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According to the blog, NASA's "Send Your Name with VIPER" website not only allows participants to submit their names but also offers the chance to create and download a virtual boarding pass as a memento of their involvement in this historic mission.
VIPER is scheduled for a late 2024 delivery to the lunar surface. The rover, a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative under the Artemis programme, will endure a roughly 100-day mission to gather crucial data about lunar ice and potential resources.
Daniel Andrews, VIPER's project manager at NASA's Ames Research Center, stressed the rover's groundbreaking role. "Our VIPER is a game-changer. It's the first mission of its kind, expanding our understanding of where lunar resources could be harvested to support a long-term human presence on the Moon," he said.
