NASA Taps Relativity Space for 2028 Mars Weather Mission

NASA has formalized a new public-private partnership with Relativity Space to launch a dedicated weather satellite to Mars in 2028. The mission, named Aeolus, marks a significant shift in how the space agency conducts deep-space research. Instead of designing and building the spacecraft in-house, NASA is purchasing a commercial delivery service to the Red Planet.[1][2][7]

The division of labor is stark and unprecedented for a Martian mission. NASA’s Ames Research Center will focus entirely on designing and building the scientific payload—a suite of four advanced weather instruments. Relativity Space, led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, will provide the spacecraft, the launch vehicle, and the interplanetary flight operations required to get the hardware to Mars.[1][3][5]

“Public-private partnerships like this are a force multiplier for science,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced. By offloading the transportation logistics to the commercial sector, the agency can dedicate its budget strictly to high-value scientific instruments and data processing.[1][2][7]

The scientific stakes for Aeolus are high. Landing on Mars remains one of the most challenging engineering problems in space exploration. The Martian atmosphere is thick enough to cause severe aerodynamic heating during entry, but too thin to allow heavy spacecraft to brake effectively using parachutes alone.[5]

Furthermore, the Martian atmosphere is notoriously unpredictable. Global dust storms can engulf the entire planet for months, drastically altering atmospheric density at the exact altitudes where spacecraft need to decelerate. Previous orbiters have studied the atmosphere, but their observations have been partial and independent of one another.[1][5]

Aeolus is designed to solve this data gap. The payload consists of four complementary instruments that will work in tandem to provide the first integrated, daily, global view of Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds.[1][3]

The instrument suite includes the Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS-Ozone), which will measure wind and temperature profiles from the surface up to 60 kilometers in altitude. A Thermal Limb Sounder (TLS) will provide vertical temperature profiles and track water-ice clouds.[3][7]

Rounding out the payload are the Surface Radiometric Sensor Package (SuRSeP), which measures surface energy balance, and a Wide-Field Context Camera (WFCC) that will capture daily global images of atmospheric activity. Together, these tools will generate the detailed environmental models required to reduce risks for future crewed and uncrewed landings.[1][3][5]

For Relativity Space, the mission is a massive proving ground. Founded in 2015 around the concept of 3D-printing entire rockets, the company has faced significant hurdles. Its first vehicle, the Terran 1, failed to reach orbit during its maiden flight in March 2023 due to a second-stage engine anomaly.[2][4][5]

Following that setback, the company pivoted to developing the Terran R, a much larger, partially reusable rocket designed to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9. However, the Terran R has not yet flown, and Relativity Space has never successfully placed a payload into Earth orbit, let alone navigated the complex orbital mechanics required to reach Mars.[4][5]

The company's trajectory shifted dramatically in March 2025 when Eric Schmidt acquired a controlling stake and installed himself as Chief Executive Officer. Schmidt brought not only substantial financial backing but also a radical new vision for the aerospace manufacturer: deploying data centers in space.[3][4][6]

The Aeolus mission will serve as the first literal manifestation of Schmidt's ambition. In addition to the NASA weather instruments, the 2028 mission will fly what Relativity calls a “Relay Data Center.” This onboard server-class computing and mass storage system will be capable of running artificial intelligence models in Mars orbit and beaming large volumes of data back to Earth over optical and radio links.[4]

This dual-purpose architecture highlights the evolving nature of commercial spaceflight. Relativity describes Aeolus as flying for a “philanthropic customer,” with NASA acting as a partner that provides the atmospheric instruments. The arrangement allows Relativity to test its deep-space capabilities and computing hardware while delivering top-tier science for the space agency.[4]

The risks are undeniable. NASA is candid about the fact that commercial partnerships carry inherent uncertainties, especially when relying on an unproven launch vehicle. Some of the agency's previous startup partners in the lunar delivery program have faced bankruptcies or mission failures.[4]

Yet, the potential payoff justifies the gamble. If successful, Aeolus will not only provide the meteorological foundation necessary for human missions to Mars but also prove that the commercial space industry can reliably extend its reach beyond the Moon. For NASA, treating Mars as a commercial delivery destination could dramatically lower costs and increase the cadence of planetary discovery for decades to come.[1][2][7]