NASA keeps its PROMISE to raid Mars testbeds for parts

NASA plans to land PROMISE, a repurposed Mars rover engineering model, at the lunar South Pole by late 2028 for an 18-month mission, with a stated rover-and-lander cost below $400 million. Blue Origin received a $94 million base contract, plus an option worth up to $140 million; an earlier estimate put mission costs at least at $723 million, or $489 million excluding launch and landing. NASA also plans to reuse a Cassini-era RTG, while a source told The Register morale at JPL was low.