NASA officials have announced serious consideration of sending the full-scale engineering model of the Perseverance rover, currently based in California, to the Moon. Nicknamed “Promise,” this vehicle would be equipped with a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) to power it across lunar terrain and through the night, unlike NASA’s other rovers which rely on solar energy.

Speaking during a monthly update on plans for a Moon base, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman expressed enthusiasm about the potential. ‘That would be an awesome capability,’ he stated, highlighting the rover's ability to traverse difficult areas regardless of light conditions.

The decision hinges on using existing hardware; an MMRTG and sufficient Plutonium-238 are available for this mission. However, with a mass of approximately 1 ton, the rover would need to be delivered by either Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander or SpaceX’s Starship due to its size.

Promised has served as a testbed for Perseverance’s potential challenges on Mars over the years, often hosting commands tested in the ‘Mars yard’ before they are sent to the Red Planet. If deployed, this backup rover could significantly enhance lunar exploration efforts, especially considering the harsh conditions of the lunar environment.