One of NASA's Mars rovers could find itself promised to the moon instead

NASA's decision to potentially repurpose one of its Mars rovers for a mission to the moon has been met with interest. The rover, named PROMISE, stands for Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping and In-Situ Exploration. This decision comes after the agency announced a new proposal in late June. PROMISE will be based on the engineering test model of Perseverance, with characteristics from the Curiosity rover.

The idea is to bring the rover to the lunar south pole, a potential site for future lunar bases due to the presence of water ice. The rover will be equipped with a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator, which uses plutonium as fuel to convert heat from natural decay into electricity, allowing it to explore the moon regardless of illumination.

However, the rover is still a concept and requires extensive upgrades before it can be ready for the mission. These upgrades include sensors to control onboard temperature, flight-ready scientific instruments, a communications system, and a generator able to withstand lunar dust. The cost of these upgrades is estimated to be between $700 million and $1.3 billion, and it is projected that PROMISE wouldn't launch until the early 2030s.