Overview

• Under task order CS-7, the award carries a total potential value of up to $190 million with an option for the actual delivery and deployment of the rover.
• The base phase funds payload-accommodation design and a demonstrated off‑loading approach, after which NASA will decide whether to exercise the delivery option.
• Blue Origin would use a second Blue Moon MK1 lander now in production, following an initial MK1 mission targeted to launch later this year with other NASA payloads.
• If delivered, NASA will operate VIPER for an approximately 100‑day mission at the lunar south pole to map volatile deposits, using instruments including the 1‑meter TRIDENT drill.
• The decision revives a mission NASA canceled in 2024 over cost and schedule concerns tied to Astrobotic’s Griffin; the earlier Griffin award has been repurposed for other payloads, according to industry reporting.