Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s Relativity Space selected for upcoming NASA Mars orbiter mission

NASA is collaborating with Relativity Space, a company led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, to enhance its Mars monitoring efforts. Relativity Space will supply the spacecraft and rocket to launch NASA’s Aeolus probe into Mars orbit, aiming for a 2028 launch. The probe, in development since 2017, will use NASA instruments to study Mars’s temperature, dust, wind, and clouds, aiming to improve safety for future Mars landings. Relativity Space, known for its innovative 3D-printed rocket parts, plans its first rocket launch in 2026. NASA will support the mission for at least one Mars year, while Relativity Space will manage the spacecraft. This partnership follows the loss of contact with NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, which was crucial for Mars communication. The Aeolus mission could fill this gap, providing essential data for future Mars missions. QUESTION: How might advancements in space technology, like those from Relativity Space, influence future human exploration of Mars?