NASA stalls water-seeking VIPER lunar rover to 2024

NASA is pushing back the launch of VIPER, a rover designed to hunt for water ice on the Moon, by a year to November 2024. VIPER, which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, was scheduled to fly to the Moon in November 2023 as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Under CLPS …

[Pascal Monett]

Going back to the Moon is required, but there's a problem

Moon dust is really abrasive, and gets everywhere.

We're going to have to find a solution for that if we want a base that isn't constantly exposed to outer space.

[A Non e-mouse]

Re: Going back to the Moon is required, but there's a problem

I'm sure I've seen a video recently where they discuss this exact problem and claim that there are ways to reduce the amount of dust.

[adam 40]

Re: Going back to the Moon is required, but there's a problem

Use a vacuum cleaner! (Just a hose connected to the wall....)

[Binraider]

Re: Going back to the Moon is required, but there's a problem

One look at how grubby the lunar astronauts spacesuits were following EVA tells you how dusty and hostile an environment it would be to machinery expected to serve months/years.

How long did the Luna rovers function for?

[DS999]

Re: Going back to the Moon is required, but there's a problem

How long did the Luna rovers function for?

They were still functional when the astronauts left, so they'd presumably be functional today if the battery still works or could be replaced. The question you're looking for is how many miles they'd last before dust got inside moving parts and caused breakdowns. Probably not a lot, since they only needed to last for the duration of a three day mission or whatever it was.

The better sealed all the moving parts the less chance of dust causing problems, but the more difficult repairs would be.

[DS999]

Re: Going back to the Moon is required, but there's a problem

What do you mean a "base that isn't constantly exposed to outer space"? Are you expecting an atmosphere somewhere on the Moon to avoid such exposure?

Moon dust is only a problem when you go outside, most people in a base would be inside 24x7. I'm sure the dust issue can be dealt with, though you probably need a two stage airlock to fully avoid tracking dust inside which wouldn't be cheap in a base that would easily be the most expensive real estate in the solar system.

[Lordrobot]

Re: Going back to the Moon is required, but there's a problem

Send Bedouins to the moon. Problem solved. Ever been in a sandstorm in Arabia?

[sitta_europea]

"...it may be possible to use the Moon's water ice to obtain drinking water and refuel spacecraft."

You forgot breathing.

[Flocke Kroes]

Plenty of oxygen

Pick any moon rock at random and it will have plenty of oxygen bound to a light metal. The obvious shortages for humans are hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. Replacement fuel for your nuclear reactor is also in short supply.

[Oglethorpe]

If you're refuelling then you're probably already generating a few orders more oxygen than the crew demands.

[LogicGate]

If you are refuelling with hydrogen and oxygen produced from moon water, then you are (theoretically) generating exactly the right amount of both. However, assuming that you prefer to run your engines somewhat fuel rich (rather than the beautifully green hue generating "engine rich"), then yes, you will be producing more oxygen than required for refueling.

[JDPower666]

You definitely don't want to use water for breathing.

[John Brown (no body)]

My pet goldfish begs to disagree. What was the question again?

[Lordrobot]

Want a Rover to last... get Toyota to build it

Of course, The Deliverance Kid all growed up...Bill Nelson, has never wasted a dollar of Taxpayer money on NASA... So we have a giant Cost Overrun on this Moon toy... Sounds like Gov business as usual. Thank god Bill Nelson is watching every dollar spent.