NASA selects Eric Schmidt's Relativity Space for 2028 Mars atmospheric mission
Tags Space · NASA · Public-Private Partnership
NASA selected Relativity Space, led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, to launch the Aeolus payload to Mars in 2028 under a new public-private partnership. Relativity will provide the spacecraft, rocket, and cruise operations for the mission, which will deliver four instruments to study Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds — the first integrated, daily, global view of the Martian atmosphere. The data will directly inform entry, descent, and landing systems for future crewed missions. This is Relativity Space's first NASA mission; the company's Terran R rocket has yet to reach its first launch.
Technical significance
A major validation for Relativity Space, which has yet to successfully launch its Terran R rocket. The award signals NASA's willingness to bet on unproven launch providers for high-profile science missions, diversifying beyond SpaceX and ULA. The Aeolus atmospheric data will be critical for planning safe crewed Mars landings.