PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration)
Planned six-wheeled, nuclear-powered NASA rover for the Moon's South Pole, announced on 7 November 2026. NASA says it will characterize the surface and subsurface and assess resource potential, and will carry a drill to extract regolith and characterize ice and other resources from about 1 meter below the surface. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is to manage the mission and build the rover from spare flight components and engineering test models for the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers. NASA is targeting late 2028 for launch and planning an 18-month mission. Blue Origin is to deliver it on a Mark 1 lander.
Objective. Characterize the surface and subsurface at the Moon's South Pole, assess resource potential, and drill to characterize ice and other resources from about 1 meter down.
Facts
- Kind
- Spacecraft
- Mission type
- Prospecting
- Target
- MoonMoon's South Pole; no specific site namedSouth polar region, no point: Lunar south pole missions
- Launch
- Planned 2028 H2 (target)Schedule announced 2026-11-07. Record checked 2026-11-10.
- Phase
- In developmentNASA release 26-095 (7 November 2026) says the agency is moving forward with development and is targeting a late-2028 launch. An announced plan is not a flight or a measurement.
- Outcome
- Not applicable
- Why it is included
- Stated resource objective
What comes next
Next recorded dates are plans, not results.
Launch: Planned 2028 H2 (target)Schedule announced 2026-11-07. Record checked 2026-11-10.
Participants
Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Operator |
| Blue Origin | Carrier |
Resources and evidence
| Resource | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Water ice | Targeted |
Dated events
- 2026-11-07
NASA award to Blue Origin to deliver the PROMISE rover ($94 million base)
NASA awarded Blue Origin a $94 million base contract to deliver the PROMISE rover to the lunar South Pole, with an option period worth an additional $140 million based on performance. NASA says the award expands the task order awarded in May 2026 to deliver two lunar terrain vehicles.
Sources (3) and evidence gaps
NASA awarded Blue Origin a $94 million base contract, with an option period worth an additional $140 million based on performance to deliver PROMISE to the lunar South Pole.
The award expands the task order awarded in May 2026 to deliver two lunar terrain vehicles to the Moon.
The PROMISE rover will carry a drill to extract regolith, or lunar dust, to characterize ice and other resources from approximately 3 feet (1 meter) below the surface
- The release gives no task-order number or delivery date for this award.
Open evidence gaps
- NASA's release gives no landing date, exact landing site, launch vehicle, nuclear power source type or total mission cost.
- The release does not say which Blue Origin Mark 1 flight carries the rover.
Sources
7 excerpts from 1 publicationOne web address counts as one publication.
NASA also announced it is moving forward with development of PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration).
the six-wheeled rover will land at the Moon’s South Pole to characterize the surface and subsurface, assess resource potential, and provide data to enable landing site selection, as well as future infrastructure and exploration activities.
The nuclear-powered rover can operate during long lunar nights and within permanently shadowed regions thought to harbor ice
The agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, a division of Caltech, will manage the mission and build the rover from a combination of spare flight components and engineering test models for NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers.
The PROMISE rover will carry a drill to extract regolith, or lunar dust, to characterize ice and other resources from approximately 3 feet (1 meter) below the surface
NASA is targeting late 2028 to launch PROMISE and planning an 18-month mission for the rover.
Blue Origin will use its Mark 1 lander to deliver and deploy the rover as part of the Moon Base’s first phase.
Cite this record
SpaceMiningData, “PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration)”, dataset version a00fa2c68a45, built 2026-11-11, https://spaceminingdata.com/missions/nasa-promise.html. Record checked 2026-11-10.