NASA picks Eric Schmidt's rocket company for Mars mission, sets up race w SpaceX
6 hours ago
- #Mars Mission
- #NASA
- #Private Spaceflight
- Relativity Space, acquired by Eric Schmidt, wins NASA contract for Mars mission.
- Mission named Aeolus to launch in 2028, providing daily atmospheric data on Mars.
- Contract follows NASA's public-private model, sharing costs and risks with the company.
- Relativity's unproven track record and past failures introduce mission risk.
- Company pivoted to Terran R rocket after initial design failure and funding challenges.
- Schmidt's investment aims at orbital data centers and a space telescope.
- Successful launch would make Aeolus the first private mission to reach Mars.