NASA keeps its PROMISE to raid Mars testbeds for parts

NASA is advancing its strategy to convert a Mars rover engineering model into a lunar trundlebot for under $400 million. Known as PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration), the robot is a modified engineering test article from the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers on Mars. Speaking at a weekend briefing, NASA laid out plans to land PROMISE on the Moon's surface by late 2028 for an 18-month mission.

It will precede NASA's VIPER trundlebot, expected to last only 100 days on the lunar surface. PROMISE will carry copies of VIPER's scientific instruments, including a drill that can bore up to 1 meter into the lunar soil. Power will be provided by a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) from the Cassini mission, which launched in 1997 and is now retired.

Blue Origin has been contracted to deliver the rover to the Moon, receiving a $94 million base contract with an additional $140 million in performance-based funds. While exact costs are unclear, NASA is confident that the total expense will remain under $400 million, including the Blue Origin Mark 1 lander. Previous estimates from The Planetary Society suggest the mission could cost at least $723 million, but with the repurposed hardware and without launch and landing expenses, the cost would drop to around $489 million.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman has expressed that even if the mission costs 20% of the low-end estimate, it would still be too expensive to launch. Despite concerns about morale at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the agency is confident in the Mars rovers' performance and positive about reusing the hardware for this new lunar mission.