NASA’s cancellation of the moon rover project raises concerns about the feasibility of the 2026 crewed lunar landing.

NASA has cancelled the VIPER moon rover mission, which was scheduled to launch in 2025, citing budgetary issues. This decision comes despite the rover being fully constructed.

NASA has announced the cancellation of the VIPER moon rover mission, which was scheduled for launch in September 2025. The rover, which is fully constructed, was intended to explore the lunar south pole and search for water ice using its drill. NASA cited budgetary constraints as the reason for the cancellation, stating that continuing the mission would require reallocating funds from other projects. Despite having already spent $450 million on VIPER, the agency anticipates that canceling the mission will save approximately $84 million. NASA has expressed openness to offers from US industry and international partners to purchase VIPER; if no such offers are received by August 1, the rover will be dismantled and its components repurposed for future missions.

The cancellation has led to concerns about NASA’s commitment to its broader goal of landing astronauts at the moon’s south pole in 2026 as part of the Artemis program. Researchers like Phil Metzger from the University of Central Florida argue that the absence of VIPER could impact the mission’s planning and the potential use of lunar water ice for rocket fuel. Additionally, the cancellation may give China an advantage in the search for lunar resources, as its Chang’e 7 and Chang’e 8 missions are scheduled to explore the same region in 2026 and 2028.

Grant Tremblay from the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics points out that the cancellation underscores the budgetary pressures facing NASA, which received 8.5% less funding than requested this year, totaling just under $25 billion. Other NASA projects, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Mars Sample Return mission, have also faced budget cuts or cancellations. Tremblay predicts that further funding issues could lead to additional setbacks for NASA’s plans.