NASA considers sending spare nuclear-powered rover to the moon

The space agency is evaluating a plan to send an engineering development version of its Mars Perseverance rover to the moon instead of building a new vehicle. The rover, now called Promise, would require refurbishment to operate in lunar conditions. Officials said the cost would likely be lower than developing an entirely new rover of similar size and capability.

Landing and power considerations Mars Perseverance used a heat shield and parachute for atmospheric entry. The moon lacks an atmosphere, so a different descent system would be needed. A nuclear power source would allow the rover to operate inside permanently shadowed craters at the lunar south pole, where solar power is unavailable.

Officials noted that such a rover could prospect for ice and other resources over multiple years.

Commercial lander options Delivery options under consideration include a SpaceX Starship or a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket paired with a Blue Moon lander. Promise could serve as one payload during an uncrewed Starship test flight.

Additional missions and technology tests Four more Commercial Lunar Payload Services missions were announced for late 2028. The program, started in 2018, awards contracts to commercial companies to deliver NASA instruments to the lunar surface. Of four prior attempts, one landing by Firefly Aerospace in March 2025 succeeded.

NASA awarded Astrobotic $297.9 million for two deliveries and Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines $144.2 million and $148.3 million respectively for one delivery each. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently tested autonomous navigation technology.