Moscow. September 21. INTERFAX-The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced the landing site of the VIPER rover on the Lunar surface in 2023, according to the office's website.
"In 2023, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) (a lunar rover specializing in the study of volatile substances at the poles of the moon - IF) will land near the left edge of the Nobile crater at the South Pole of the Moon to mark and study the surface and soil for the presence of water and other resources," NASA said in a statement.
The rover's mission on the surface of the Moon will last 100 Earth days, during which the rover weighing 430 kilograms should overcome 20 kilometers. VIPER is equipped with a meter-long drill for soil analysis and three spectrometers for a detailed study of the lunar surface. It is expected that the device will collect water samples from four lunar biomes.
Previously, the poles of the Moon were studied only by remote sensing instruments installed on automatic interplanetary stations. As a result of these studies in the dark regions of the Moon and near the poles, experts have revealed the existence of ice on the Earth's satellite and the possibility of finding other resources in these places. The VIPER mission will be the first lunar rover of its kind.