NASA selects Relativity Space to launch Mars orbiter

NASA has selected Relativity Space, a rocket company led by former Google executive Eric Schmidt, to launch and operate a scientific mission to Mars. The partnership, announced on June 17, 2026, will send the "Aeolus" orbiter to the Red Planet with a target launch date in 2028.

Under the agreement, Relativity Space will build the spacecraft, provide its Terran R rocket, and manage the flight operations to deliver NASA's science instruments to Mars. This model mirrors NASA's previous commercial partnerships, such as those with SpaceX and Firefly Aerospace, where the agency provides the science payloads and a private company supplies lower-cost transportation infrastructure.

The Aeolus mission will carry four instruments designed and built by scientists at NASA's Ames Research Center. These include a Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder, a Thermal Limb Sounder, a Surface Radiometric Sensor Package, and a Wide-Field Context Camera. Together, they are intended to provide the first daily, global view of Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds. NASA stated that this data is crucial for making future landings on Mars, whether crewed or robotic, safer by improving understanding of...