VIPER lives! Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will land ice-hunting NASA rover on the moon in 2027

This artist’s concept shows Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander and NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) on the lunar surface.

VIPER has officially come back from the dead.

The NASA moon robot, whose name is short for "Volatiles Investigating Polar Explorer Rover," will hitch a ride to the lunar surface with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin in late 2027, agency officials announced this afternoon.