Life outside of Earth.
It’s a popular theme in science fiction, taking many forms to reflect humanity’s dreams, desires, insecurities. But it may just be one step closer to reality.
NASA has recently announced plans for its VIPER mission, set to land in 2024.
The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover will be the size of a golf cart and have four different scientific instruments. The rover will explore several miles of the moon's south pole over the course of 100 days, searching for water ice. The rover will use Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) to detect "wet" areas under the moon's surface. It will then use The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT) to dig up soil from below the surface.
Discovering potential water on the moon will be the first step to establishing human life outside of Earth. Previous missions have concluded the presence of water on the moon, and that the poles of the moon are the best candidates for finding water.
The establishment of a colony on the Moon will bring humanity closer to life even further away- to Mars, and eventually out of our solar system.
It’s a popular theme in science fiction, taking many forms to reflect humanity’s dreams, desires, insecurities. But it may just be one step closer to reality.
NASA has recently announced plans for its VIPER mission, set to land in 2024.
The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover will be the size of a golf cart and have four different scientific instruments. The rover will explore several miles of the moon's south pole over the course of 100 days, searching for water ice. The rover will use Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) to detect "wet" areas under the moon's surface. It will then use The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT) to dig up soil from below the surface.
Discovering potential water on the moon will be the first step to establishing human life outside of Earth. Previous missions have concluded the presence of water on the moon, and that the poles of the moon are the best candidates for finding water.
The establishment of a colony on the Moon will bring humanity closer to life even further away- to Mars, and eventually out of our solar system.
Loff, Sarah. “New VIPER Lunar Rover to Map Water Ice on the Moon.” NASA, NASA, 23 Oct. 2019, www.nasa.gov/feature/new-viper-lunar-rover-to-map-water-ice-on-the-moon.
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