Washington: Apna Punjab Media: US space agency NASA said it is canceling the mission to send a rover to search for water on the Moon due to rising costs and launch delays. The space agency said the Viper rover was scheduled to be launched by the end of 2023 via a lander provided by Astrobotic Technology, but the mission was delayed due to additional testing and cost overruns, putting pressure on others. The danger to projects is increasing. NASA said the rover’s objective was to explore the moon’s south pole.
About $450 million has been spent so far on its development. The announcement comes just days before the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. NASA said it plans to study the presence of ice on the Moon through other projects. Astrobotic still plans to launch its Griffin lunar lander by the end of next year.
