NASA, Relativity Space to Fly Atmospheric Science Instruments to Mars in 2028

NASA selects Eric Schmidt’s rocket company for a 2028 mission to Mars

Relativity Space’s CEO is former Google executive Eric Schmidt. | Image: Alexander Tamargo / Getty Images Relativity Space, the rocket company led by former Google executive Eric Schmidt, was picked to launch NASA's Aeolus payload to Mars in 2028, as reported earlier by TechCrunch. Under a new public-private partnership, Relativity Space will provide the "spacecraft, rocket, and cruise operations" to fly Aeolus to Mars, where the payload will "…

NASA, Relativity Space to Fly Atmospheric Science Instruments to Mars in 2028

A public-private partnership to send a NASA-built atmospheric instrument suite to Mars aboard a Relativity Space spacecraft was announced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on June 17, 2026, at an event hosted by Relativity Space.“By pairing NASA’s world-class instruments with commercial innovation and investment, we can deliver more science, more often, and reduce the time it takes to get essential data into the hands of researchers preparing…