NASA & Relativity Space Launch Aeolus Mission to Study Mars' Atmosphere
NASA announced on June 17, 2026, a public-private partnership with Relativity Space for the Aeolus mission, scheduled to launch to Mars in 2028.
Mission Details
Under the agreement, NASA will provide the Aeolus instrument suite, while Relativity Space will design, build, and launch the spacecraft, as well as manage cruise and mission operations. This marks the first six-year reimbursable Space Act Agreement between NASA and Relativity Space.
The Aeolus spacecraft will orbit Mars and provide daily measurements of winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds from the surface to approximately 37 miles (60 km) altitude. Science operations are planned for at least one Martian year (about 687 Earth days). NASA will develop the data-processing pipeline for public scientific use.
Payload Instruments
Aeolus carries four NASA-built instruments:
- Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS-Ozone): Measures wind speeds and temperatures up to 60 km altitude. Collaboration with GATS.
- Thermal Limb Sounder (TLS): Provides vertical temperature profiles and data on dust and clouds. Designed with Xiomas Technologies.
- Surface Radiometric Sensor Package (SuRSeP): Collects compositional data on clouds and dust; tracks surface energy absorption and release.
- Wide-Field Context Camera (WFCC): Takes daily images of atmospheric activity across Mars.
Background
Aeolus builds on more than two decades of NASA Mars atmospheric missions, including MAVEN, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), and Mars Odyssey. NASA’s MAVEN mission operated for over a decade beyond its original one-year mission before losing communication. Active Mars orbiters MRO and Mars Odyssey have each operated for nearly two decades beyond their initial timelines.
NASA’s Ames Research Center will design, build, and integrate the payload. Relativity Space will manage spacecraft development and mission operations. The company’s Terran 1 rocket had a test flight that malfunctioned after three minutes.
Statements
Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator: Stated that public-private partnerships can carry out more science missions more often and reduce the time to get data to researchers.
Dr. Eugene Tu, NASA Ames Center Director: Said the Aeolus mission shows how innovative collaboration accelerates science.