Relativity Space, now led by former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt, has been selected to send NASA’s Aeolus payload to Mars in 2028, according to an earlier report from TechCrunch. The mission will move forward under a new public-private partnership in which Relativity will supply the spacecraft, launch vehicle, and cruise operations needed to deliver Aeolus to the Red Planet.
Once there, Aeolus is expected to give scientists the first integrated daily global view of Mars’ atmosphere, including winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds. NASA says the data will offer a much clearer picture of Martian weather patterns on a planet-wide scale.
The payload will carry four instruments designed to study the Martian atmosphere in detail. According to NASA, those observations will help improve entry, descent, and landing systems while making future mission planning safer and more predictable for astronauts.
