VIPER: Nasa to send human names on new Moon rover

How would you like to have your name be part of a Moon mission?

Well, US space agency Nasa is offering members of the public the chance to add their name to their lunar rover mission - VIPER.

VIPER - which stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover - is Nasa's first robotic Moon rover and will be tasked with exploring the Moon's south pole - where Nasa aims to send humans as part of its Artemis missions.

It will be on the hunt for water and ice and other resources to learn more about the environment where Nasa plans to land astronauts.

On board will be scientific instruments and, Nasa hopes, the names of thousands of fans of space exploration which must be sent in by the end of 15 March 2024.

"With VIPER, we are going to study and explore parts of the Moon's surface no one has ever been to before," said Nicola Fox from Nasa.

"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."

According to Nasa, VIPER is about the size of a golf buggy.

It will roam for several miles using batteries and solar power, and will need to deal with extreme hot and cold temperatures during its mission, which is expected to last about 100 days.

Daniel Andrews, VIPER's project manager said it would be "the first mission of its kind, expanding our understanding of where lunar resources could be harvested to support a long-term human presence on the Moon."

You can find out how to submit your name over at the Nasa website.