NASA seeks new way to launch VIPER moon rover

NASA has canceled its plan to launch the VIPER lunar rover with a commercial partner, leaving the robot stranded on Earth. The agency is now seeking new ways to send the rover to the Moon. The VIPER rover, designed to search for water ice, was fully assembled but never launched due to delays and the cancellation of its original mission. NASA had solicited proposals from the private sector to take over the mission, but that effort has also been scrapped. NASA has spent $450 million on VIPER and will not allocate additional funds for its launch. The agency plans to announce a new strategy for the rover's deployment in the future.