NASA is partnering with Relativity Space, the rocket company led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, to carry out a Mars science mission called Aeolus. Multiple outlets report that the effort is tied to Relativity’s Interplanetary Sciences Program and is scheduled to launch in 2028.
Under the arrangement, Relativity Space is set to build the Aeolus spacecraft and provide its Terran R rocket to deliver it toward Mars. The mission’s goal is to obtain a daily, global view of Mars’ atmosphere, using observations that are expected to improve understanding of atmospheric conditions on the planet.
Both reports highlight uncertainty around Relativity’s capability for the specific deep-space or interplanetary requirements of the mission. The company’s technology and hardware are described as still unproven for that environment, and one outlet notes that this could represent a risk for NASA, given that the company has not previously reached orbit. The partnership therefore combines an ambitious objective with reliance on a supplier whose track record for comparable spaceflight milestones remains limited.
