NASA abandoned the Resource Prospector lunar rover project, which was supposed to explore the surface of the Earth's satellite, including looking for hydrogen, oxygen and water. Writes about this The Verge.
University of Central Florida employee Phil Metzger, who worked on the lunar rover, told the publication that the space agency does not envisage another similar project.
In his opinion, the refusal from Resource Prospector is related to finances: initially the mission was prepared as part of the manned flights to the moon project, and then transferred to the department of scientific missions. According to Metzger, the lunar rover project did not coincide with the department's priorities.
Refusal from Resource Prospector contradicts the order of US President Donald Trump on the development of the earth's satellite, including the return of astronauts to it, The Verge notes. Trump signed the corresponding directive at the end of 2017.
Scientists who advise NASA on lunar exploration wrote to the head of the agency, Jim Bridenstine, on April 26, asking him to consider the possibility of renewing the Resource Prospector. After that, on the project page on the NASA website, a message was published that some elements of the mission would be involved in other projects.
The United States plans to land a man on the moon in the 2020s. In 2025, the Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway station with four astronauts on board should start operating in the satellite orbit. They will study various aspects of landing on the lunar surface.