NASA Proposes $700 Million PROMISE Rover Mission to Moon, Reusing Mars Test Hardware
Updated
Updated · Engadget · Aug 7
NASA Proposes $700 Million PROMISE Rover Mission to Moon, Reusing Mars Test Hardware
3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Aug 7
Summary
PROMISE would send a repurposed full-scale Mars rover test model—likely based on Perseverance’s Earth twin, or a Curiosity-Perseverance hybrid—to the lunar south pole under a NASA concept unveiled in late June.
An MMRTG nuclear power system would let the rover operate through lunar night and in permanently shadowed areas, giving NASA a way to scout for water ice and map the surface and subsurface for future moon bases.
Jared Isaacman said NASA is trying to reuse hardware taxpayers already funded after years of operating Curiosity and Perseverance on Mars, aiming to add lunar capability “in short order.”
The concept remains far from flight-ready: the current test vehicle lacks thermal-control sensors, flight scientific instruments, communications gear and a generator, and its parts are not rated for abrasive lunar dust.
The Planetary Society estimates the mission would cost $700 million to $1.3 billion and likely would not launch until the early 2030s.