In June 2026, Relativity Space — the rocket company Eric Schmidt took over in 2025, whose one rocket has never reached orbit — said it would privately build and fly a Mars orbiter in 2028, carrying NASA's Aeolus atmospheric instruments and doubling as a c

According to coverage from outlets including Yahoo, MSN, The Verge, and Yahoo Finance, NASA has selected Relativity Space to build and launch its next Mars orbiter in the year 2028. Media reports from Yahoo Finance specifically emphasize that this mission sets up a race with SpaceX.

Coverage does not yet specify the full financial terms or the complete technical specifications of the agreement beyond the planned 2028 launch window and the inclusion of the Aeolus instruments. The selection represents a major operational milestone for the firm under its current leadership, transitioning the private venture into interplanetary mission development alongside established aerospace competitors like SpaceX.

Looking ahead, coverage indicates that observers should watch for further developments regarding the preparation of the 2028 Mars orbiter mission, the integration of NASA's Aeolus atmospheric instruments, and how the newly framed race with SpaceX unfolds. The available reports do not yet specify subsequent milestones or timeline updates beyond the targeted launch year provided in the initial announcements.