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NASA Selects Moog to Power and Control Future Lunar RoverFree Access


A future mission to the Moon will see a rover with parts created by Moog, Inc. in Elma. 

It was recently announced that the company’s space products had been selected for an upcoming NASA mission to explore the Moon’s South Pole. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, is NASA’s first mobile robotic rover mission to the Moon.

VIPER will rely on Moog’s radiation-hardened avionics technology to control the rover during its 100-day mission. The company will produce the main computer and power management source for VIPER; essentially, the “brains” of the rover.

An engineering model of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, is tested in the Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. NASA/Bridget Caswell, Alcyon Technical Services

In addition, the Moog equipment provides radiation-tolerant image processing and storage that will guide VIPER’s maneuvers across the lunar surface. Other functions will be to manage the solar array, battery charging, and power distribution that support the large power requirements needed for wheel motor control and drilling capabilities. A particularly unique capability of the Moog equipment is the very low-power hibernation mode that will allow VIPER to survive the challenging prolonged lunar nights throughout the mission.

VIPER represents the first resource mapping mission on another celestial body. It will determine the concentration of water and ice that could eventually be harvested to sustain human exploration. This data will be instrumental in determining possible future landing sites for the NASA Artemis program, which will return Americans to the moon.

VIPER is set to land on the lunar surface in late 2023 under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.

“Our team continues to find innovative solutions to not only survive, but excel in the harsh environment of space. We are thrilled that for more than 60 years, NASA engineers have continued to trust us with these critical missions,” said Maureen Athoe, president of Moog Space and Defense in a news release.

For progress updates from NASA, go to www.nasa.gov/viper.

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