Estimates of the cost of the PROMISE lunar rover project range between $723 million and $1.33 billion, and NASA responds.
NASA revealed its plan to establish a manned station on the moon by 2032, amid estimates by the Planetary Society that the cost of the PROMISE lunar rover would exceed the billion-dollar barrier, while the agency’s director rejected these estimates, stressing that the project was being studied seriously.
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NASA plans to establish a manned station on the Moon by 2032 and explore the Moon's South Pole via the PROMISE rover.
NASA reveals its plan to establish a manned station on the moon by 2032
According to Casey Dreyer, director of space policy at the Planetary Society, the cost of the PROMISE lunar rover project may far exceed initial estimates, as the total cost of developing, launching, and operating it during its first year on the moon is expected to range between $723 million and $1.33 billion.
The “PROMISE” project, which stands for “Polar Roving Vehicle for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration,” is one of the NASA projects that was announced late last June. The project is based on the engineering replica of the Perseverance rover, known as OPTIMISM, currently at JPL. It is expected that relying on a ready-made structure will contribute to reducing the cost of manufacturing the vehicle compared to developing it from scratch. It is scheduled to be launched in the early 2030s to explore the south pole of the moon.
The most notable technical obstacle is providing an energy source, as solar panels become useless during long polar nights. Therefore, engineers are considering providing the vehicle with a thermoelectric generator that operates with the radioactive isotope plutonium-238, but NASA currently has only one spare unit of this type. The vehicle will also need to be equipped with a deep space communications system and a number of additional components.
For his part, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman rejected the Planetary Society's estimates, saying: "If the cost of the PROMISE project reaches even 20% of your minimum estimate, we will not launch it." However, he confirmed his support for the project idea in principle.
He added that the agency is considering "very seriously" sending a rover to the moon, considering that reusing existing equipment represents the best approach to achieving "tangible achievements."
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Launch of the PROMISE rover in the early 2030s
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