Passata la CDR.
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Conferenza di aggiornamento su VIPER ora.
VIPER è ufficialmente cancellata.
https://x.com/NASA/status/1813664486663786897?t=J7Yoq6mjotKphklxK-Fbog&s=19
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Il comunicato ufficiale sul sito.
Se qualcuno lo vuole gratis però se lo può prendere, solo se ha un motivo valido però.
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https://x.com/DrPhiltill/status/1813678866709528855
VIPER non partirà più
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Commento di Scott Manley
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Dal commento di Scott mi sembra di leggere tra le righe che non sia ancora detta l’ultima parola
Non ho ascoltato il video di Manley ma ho ascoltato la teleconferenza di NASA (e a breve esce un articolo di AN): l’ultima parola è stata detta. La missione è arrivata a costare il 40% in più di quello originariamente prevsito: al 30% scatta automaticamente una review di NASA per valutare la cancellazione. E i possibili ritardi di Astrobotic nella consegna di Griffin potrebbero far slittare l’arrivo sulla Luna a settembre 2025 o nel 2026, addirittura, aumentando ancora di più i costi.
In telecon un giornalista-scienziato si è arrabbiato molto con la decisione, dicendo di non trovarla sensata (il rover è completamente assemblato, è stato speso già mezzo miliardo di dollari, alcune parti sono state testate) e che gli 82 milioni per mantenere VIPER in vita sono pochi.
L’unico modo che VIPER viva è che un’agenzia spaziale o un’Università o un’azienda lo prendano, senza però che gli USA mettano un centesimo di più. Altrimenti VIPER vivrà in alcune missioni CLPS con il trapianto di alcuni strumenti.
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Nuovo articolo di Matteo Deguidi pubblicato su AstronautiNEWS.it.
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Interessante il commento ed il post di riferimento
https://x.com/drphiltill/status/1816140399141957655
La planetary association ha pubblicato un form su Google per chiedere al Congresso di rivedere la decisione di NASA.
L’obiettivo sarebbe raggiungere 5000 firme entro il primo agosto.
Lettera originale
On July 17, NASA announced the cancellation of the VIPER lunar rover after many years and nearly $500M of development. We, as the wider scientific community and members of the public, have organized this open letter to relevant US Representatives and Senators to ask them to oppose NASA’s cancellation of the mission.
The text of the letter is below. By signing, you agree that your name, affiliation (optional), and district will be shared with the recipients of the letter. We may contact you via email with updates about the campaign. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the letter’s organizers, Dr Benjamin Fernando (bfernan9@jh.edu) or Dr Parvathy Prem (parvathy.prem@gmail.com) who have organized this letter in a personal capacity.
Request to refuse NASA’s cancellation of the VIPER Moon mission
Dear Members of the United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; House and Senate Appropriations Committees; and the Congressional Planetary Science Caucus,
We write to you as members of the public with an interest in lunar science and exploration, many of whom are from your district or state.
We are deeply concerned by NASA’s shocking announcement on July 17 that it intends to discontinue the VIPER lunar rover mission. VIPER was to be a groundbreaking American project and the first NASA mission to characterize the origin and distribution of water ice on and below the surface of the Moon, a key step in enabling human exploration and addressing high priority science objectives identified in the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey. The capabilities of the VIPER rover to map ice under the surface are unmatched and cannot be replicated by uncoordinated flights of individual instruments on small landers.
Further, the mission is a key component of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, and would be a compelling demonstration of partnership between NASA and the growing US commercial space sector. The VIPER rover itself is already fully built and was scheduled to undergo final testing in the coming months prior to launch in 2024/5. The decision to cancel the project at this stage, after spending $450 million, is both unprecedented and indefensible. We are incredulous that NASA’s new plan is to spend $323 million (the value of NASA’s contract with lander provider Astrobotic) to launch a non-functioning “mass simulator” to the Moon in place of the rover.
VIPER remains a key part of the United States’ roadmap for a return to the Moon. Without it, the United States risks losing its leading position in lunar exploration. The risks to other NASA missions, including the return of astronauts to the Moon as part of the Artemis program, are also heightened because of the loss of knowledge about the lunar South Pole terrain and properties. This decision is also likely to lead to the loss of valuable talent and knowledge at NASA, with members of the team spread across centers and universities in nearly a dozen states and territories.
The decision to cancel the mission was taken by NASA without giving the wider VIPER team or lunar exploration community an opportunity to propose cost-saving solutions or alternatives to the dismemberment or scrapping of the rover. We are therefore writing to you and your congressional colleagues to urge NASA to reconsider this decision, including taking steps to ensure VIPER remains as an item within the Agency’s budget.
Yours sincerely,
The undersigned
NASA ha aperto una RFI (Request for Information) dedicata alle aziende e istituzioni statunitensi per usare VIPER. Per aziende e istituzioni straniere NASA si attiverà su canali separati.
C’è stato un cambio rispetto alla policy presentata in conferenza di stop di VIPER: ora si parla di “minimal to no cost for government”, quando prima era “no cost”
The Request for Information now seeks to learn more about how interested parties would use VIPER at minimal to no cost to the government. This Request for Information is open to U.S. organizations and industry. NASA will explore interest from the international community through separate channels.
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Pare che Intuitive Machines si prenderà in carico di VIPER.
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Pare che la NASA stia ancora valutando.
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