NASA Weighs Sending Backup Rover to Moon

NASA officials said Tuesday that they are seriously considering sending the full-scale engineering model of the Perseverance rover, which is currently housed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, to the Moon to expedite their efforts to explore the south pole region. The car-sized rover nicknamed "Promise," which serves as a testbed for Perseverance and was not otherwise planned for a launch, would land equipped with a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) to power it across difficult terrain and through the lunar night. NASA's other rovers primarily operate on solar power.

"We are thinking very hard right now about sending Promise to the Moon," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Tuesday during a monthly update on the agency's plans to build a Moon base. The potential mission would utilize a rover that otherwise would not have a purpose, allowing NASA to make use of existing resources. If sent, Promise would join other lunar missions aimed at exploring the Moon's south pole region.

Why this matters: A decision to send the Perseverance rover's backup to the Moon could have significant implications for NASA's lunar exploration plans. By leveraging an existing asset, NASA could accelerate its efforts to explore the Moon's south pole region, a key target for future human missions. The use of a nuclear-powered rover like Promise would also provide valuable experience with MMRTG technology, which could be applied to future Mars missions.

For developers and businesses, this move could signal new opportunities for partnerships and collaborations on lunar missions. However, questions remain about the potential risks and challenges associated with sending a rover to the Moon, including the impact on NASA's existing budget and resource allocation. As NASA continues to plan its lunar missions, the fate of Promise and its potential role in the agency's lunar exploration efforts will be closely watched.