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NASA is giving people the opportunity to send their names to the moon aboard the Viper, short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, the agency’s first robotic lunar rover.
As part of the Send Your Name with Viper campaign, NASA is encouraging people to submit their names on the agency’s website before 11:59 p.m. EST March 15.
According to NASA, the names will be attached to the rover as it embarks on a mission to explore the lunar South Pole, the same location the agency plans to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon under its Artemis program.
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People can submit their names to be on NASA's Viper, or Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, as it embarks on a mission to explore the lunar South Pole. (NASA/Daniel Rutter)
"With Viper, we are going to study and explore parts of the moon’s surface no one has ever been to before, and with this campaign, we are inviting the world to be part of that risky yet rewarding journey," said Nicola Fox, associate administrator and science mission directorate at NASA.
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"Just think, our names will ride along as Viper navigates across the rugged terrain of the lunar South Pole and gathers valuable data that will help us better understand the history of the moon and the environment where we plan to send Artemis astronauts."
The Viper is set to explore the lunar South Pole in late 2024, according to NASA. (NASA)
NASA said this campaign draws from the agency’s long tradition of shipping inspirational messages on exploratory spacecraft. NASA has previously sent millions of people's names on other missions, including Artemis I, several Mars spacecraft and the upcoming Europa Clipper mission.
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NASA’s Viper is part of a larger initiative under the Artemis program to establish a long-term cadence of moon missions in preparation for sending the first astronauts to Mars. The robotic lunar rover is scheduled to explore the moon's South Pole in late 2024, according to NASA.
To add your name, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/send-your-name-with-viper