NASA Taps Eric Schmidt's Relativity Space for 2028 Mars Weather Mission

In a major shift for planetary exploration, NASA has selected California-based Relativity Space to design, build, and launch a new weather satellite to Mars. The mission, scheduled for 2028, will carry the agency's Aeolus instrument suite into Martian orbit to provide the first daily, global measurements of the planet's environment.[1][2]

The collaboration operates under a six-year reimbursable Space Act Agreement, marking a strategic evolution in how NASA conducts deep-space research. While the agency has routinely relied on private companies like SpaceX to ferry cargo to the International Space Station, treating an interplanetary Mars mission as a commercial delivery service is a relatively new frontier. Under this framework, NASA will supply the scientific expertise and instruments, while Relativity Space provides the spacecraft, the launch vehicle, and the interplanetary cruise operations.[3][7][8]

The scientific payload, dubbed Aeolus, is currently being developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. It consists of four complementary instruments designed to work in tandem, capturing a comprehensive daily picture of Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and cloud cover. Never before has a single mission provided such a detailed, synchronized view of the Red Planet's atmospheric behavior.[2][5][8]

The suite includes a Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder to measure vertical profiles up to 60 kilometers above the surface, and a Thermal Limb Sounder to observe water-ice clouds and dust. A Surface Radiometric Sensor Package will measure the planet's surface energy balance, while a Wide-Field Context Camera captures daily global images of atmospheric activity.[4][7][8]

Historically, spacecraft like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, and the recently retired MAVEN mission have studied the Martian atmosphere partially and independently of one another. Aeolus aims to combine all these key parameters into a single, continuous daily dataset, filling a critical gap in planetary science.[4][5][8]

Understanding the Martian atmosphere is not merely an academic exercise; it is an engineering necessity for future exploration. The atmosphere of Mars presents a unique paradox: it is dense enough to cause severe aerodynamic heating during a spacecraft's entry, but too thin to allow for effective braking using traditional parachutes.[5]

This challenge is compounded by the planet's volatile weather. Global dust storms can engulf Mars for months at a time, drastically altering the density of the atmosphere at the exact altitudes where incoming spacecraft need to decelerate before landing. A sudden drop in atmospheric density during descent can lead to a catastrophic crash.[5]

The data collected by Aeolus is expected to refine models of this atmospheric behavior, directly influencing the design of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) systems. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman noted that getting this essential data into the hands of researchers is a prerequisite for safely navigating the atmosphere during future robotic and human missions to the surface.[1][5][7][8]

For Relativity Space, the mission represents a monumental leap in ambition. Founded in 2015 by former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineers, the company initially gained industry attention for its pioneering use of large-scale 3D printing technology to manufacture rocket components. Now, it is responsible for managing an entire interplanetary flight.[3][6][7]

The company's trajectory shifted dramatically in 2025 when former Google CEO Eric Schmidt acquired a controlling stake and installed himself as chief executive. Schmidt has since pivoted the company's focus toward deep-space exploration and orbital infrastructure, backed by significant investments from his family philanthropy, Schmidt Sciences.[1][3][6]

The Aeolus mission will serve as a literal manifestation of Schmidt's stated ambitions. The spacecraft will function as what Relativity calls a "Relay Data Center"—featuring server-class computing and mass storage in Mars orbit. This orbital infrastructure will be capable of running artificial intelligence models on board and beaming large volumes of processed data back to Earth over optical and radio links.[6]

The financial structure of the mission is equally novel. Relativity Space describes Aeolus as flying for a "philanthropic customer," allowing NASA to dedicate its budget strictly to the high-value scientific instruments and data processing pipelines without bearing the full financial burden of developing a launch vehicle and spacecraft.[6][7]

Despite the innovative approach, the partnership carries substantial technical risk. Relativity Space has never successfully reached orbit. Its first 3D-printed rocket, the Terran 1, launched in March 2023 but suffered a second-stage engine failure mid-flight.[1][3][6]

Following that setback, the company abandoned the Terran 1 to focus on developing the Terran R, a much larger, partially reusable launch vehicle. The Terran R has not yet flown, and its maiden launch is currently scheduled for late 2026, leaving a tight timeline to prove the vehicle's reliability before the 2028 Mars launch window.[1][5][6]

If successful, delivering a NASA payload to Mars would give Relativity Space critical deep-space flight experience, instantly transforming it from a struggling startup into a major competitor for lucrative future launch contracts. It also sets up an intriguing dynamic with SpaceX, offering Schmidt's company a chance to reach the Red Planet before Elon Musk's Starship program achieves the same milestone.[3][6][7]

Ultimately, the Aeolus mission tests a new paradigm for planetary science. By pairing NASA's world-class instrumentation with commercial innovation and private capital, the agency hopes to create a "force multiplier" that can deliver more science, more frequently, and at a fraction of the traditional cost.[1][7]