Private FLIP moon rover replaces NASA's cancelled VIPER on 2025 lunar south pole mission

Artist's illustration of Astrobotic's Griffin lunar lander and Astrolab's FLIP rover on the moon.

Pittsburgh-based company Astrobotic has found a replacement rover to fly on the first-ever mission of its Griffin moon lander.

Griffin was originally supposed to deliver NASA's ice-hunting VIPER rover to the moon's south polar region on its debut flight, which is scheduled to launch late this year.