Rovers intended to support a lunar base are being tested for work before and during astronaut visits. NASA's October 20 update describes final testing of VIPER alongside progress on two commercial lunar terrain vehicles.
The challenge is to make the vehicles useful when nobody is sitting in them. Before crews arrive, NASA plans to operate the terrain vehicles remotely from Earth, collecting data and mapping routes near the Moon's south pole.
The agency lists a planned remote travel capability of up to 6 kilometers per day. For crewed operations, it describes up to 10 kilometers on one battery charge and a capacity of 80 kilograms of samples and tools. These are program requirements and plans, not distances already driven on the Moon by those vehicles.
Astrolab and Lunar Outpost are developing the crew-carrying vehicles. NASA says mockups have undergone astronaut evaluations and that teams are preparing further tests of wheels, traction and driving in simulated lunar conditions.
VIPER has a separate resource-prospecting role. NASA says the completed rover is undergoing final testing at Johnson Space Center for a planned 2027 mission. Its route is intended to cover more than 30 kilometers while studying water-related resources and the local environment.
These systems face shadows, difficult terrain and large temperature differences. Testing movement therefore also tests power management, navigation and the reliability of hardware in changing conditions.
The update documents preparations and schedules. The new crew-carrying vehicles have not completed their planned lunar work. Their present proving ground is on Earth.
