NASA has unveiled PROMISE, a new nuclear-powered lunar rover built using spare components and engineering test hardware from its Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers! 🚀🌕
Announced at NASA's MAX POWER event at Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 7, 2026, the PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration) mission will explore the moon's south pole, searching for water ice and other resources that could support future astronauts and NASA's planned Moon Base.
Built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the six-wheeled rover will use a radioisotope power system to survive the long lunar nights and venture into permanently shadowed regions where sunlight hasn't reached for billions of years.
PROMISE will carry more than 10 science instruments and technology demonstrations, including a drill capable of sampling lunar soil 3.3 feet (1 meter) below the surface. NASA is targeting a late 2028 launch, with Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 lander selected to deliver the rover for an 18-month mission.
Watch NASA's presentation and animation revealing how technology developed for Mars exploration will help pave the way for humanity's future on the moon.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | edited by Space.com
