# NASA to launch nuclear-powered PROMISE rover to Moon's South Pole in 2028

- Published: 2026-11-07 23:04 UTC
- Section: Sky & Space › Space
- Tags: NASA PROMISE rover, lunar South Pole, nuclear powered lunar rover, TRIDENT drill, Moon Base Program, lunar water ice
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-4b7e4d9c71bef3d8c474d5a0_nasa_to_launch/

**NASA announced the PROMISE mission, which adapts Mars rover hardware and an RTG to prospect for subsurface water ice during an 18-month primary mission.**

![NASA to launch nuclear-powered PROMISE rover to Moon's South Pole in 2028](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/19b26b3ad0625a09.webp)
*nasa.gov*

NASA has announced plans to deploy the Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration (PROMISE) to the lunar South Pole in late 2028 for an 18-month primary mission. According to nasa.gov, the SUV-size vehicle will prospect for resources and characterize both surface and subsurface conditions ahead of crewed operations under the Moon Base Program [1]. A commercial cargo lander will deliver the robotic rover to permanently shadowed regions where water ice may be preserved.

## Repurposing Mars hardware and nuclear power

Managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the vehicle is being built largely from spare and test hardware developed for the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rover missions [1]. Engineers are converting the body structure, mobility system, and electronics from Curiosity’s duplicate test-bed unit, integrating additional flight-spare components. Power will be supplied by a flight-spare multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG). This nuclear power source allows continuous operations through the multi-week lunar nights and within ultra-cold craters where solar arrays cannot function.

## Scientific payload and subsurface drilling

PROMISE will carry an extensive suite of technology demonstrations and scientific instruments, four of which also fly on the VIPER mission. The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT), built by Honeybee Robotics, is a rotary percussive drill designed to sample regolith up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) beneath the surface in 4-inch (10-centimeter) increments [1]. TRIDENT will assess regolith strength, compaction, and temperature while depositing subsurface material on the surface for onboard analysis.

Volatiles from the excavated regolith will be analyzed by the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO), managed by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Mineralogy and potential surface ices will be mapped by the Near-Infrared Volatiles Spectrometer System (NIRVSS), while the Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS), built by Lockheed Martin, will search for hydrogen concentrations. To map extreme cold traps, the LAFORGE radiometer will measure surface temperatures down to minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 242 degrees Celsius).

## Sources

1. [nasa.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/promise/)
2. [scientificamerican.com](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-reveals-new-lunar-rover-promise-to-launch-to-moon-in-2028)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-4b7e4d9c71bef3d8c474d5a0_nasa_to_launch/