Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or Viper for short, is Nasa's first robotic lunar rover, and it is inviting people to transmit their names to the surface of the moon.
In order to better comprehend the area where Nasa intends to land the first woman and person of colour under the Artemis programme, the rover will set off on a trip to the lunar South Pole in order to solve the mysteries surrounding the Moon's water.
Nasa is accepting names for the Send Your Name with Viper campaign until 11:59pm EST on March 15 (4:59am on March 16 in the UK). The names will be gathered by the agency and then attached to the rover.
Past Nasa initiatives have allowed tens of millions of individuals to submit their names to travel with Artemis I, a number of Mars spacecraft and the agency's planned Europa Clipper mission. Nasa has a lengthy history of delivering uplifting messages on board spacecraft that have travelled throughout our solar system and beyond.
But how can you add your name to Viper and when is it scheduled to be sent?
How to add your name to Viper
You can add your name by visiting the Nasa website.
To remember the event, users can also design and download a virtual memento that features their name, such as a boarding permit for the Viper mission, from the website. With the hashtag #SendYourName, participants are urged to post their requests on social media.
When is Viper scheduled to be sent?
Gryphon Mission One of Astrobotic Technologies is slated to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in late 2024, carrying Viper to the lunar surface.
Once it has landed, Viper's solar panels and batteries will be its only means of survival for the roughly 100 days it will need to endure harsh temperatures and low lighting. These solar panels and batteries will also power a variety of scientific instruments that are intended to collect information about the properties and concentrations of lunar ice and other potential resources.
