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

NASA selected Relativity Space to deliver its Aeolus payload to Mars in 2028 through a new public-private partnership. The mission will study Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds, producing the first integrated daily global view of the planet’s atmosphere.

The deal highlights NASA’s growing willingness to rely on commercial space companies for interplanetary missions, not just Earth orbit launches. Better Mars weather data could improve landing safety and mission planning, supporting a more sustained robotic and eventual human presence on the planet.