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Relativity Space to privately develop Mars orbiter mission
SpaceNews • • science
Key Points:
- Relativity Space announced its Interplanetary Sciences Program aiming to develop next-generation interplanetary missions, starting with a Mars orbiter planned for late 2028.
- The Mars orbiter will carry NASA-contributed instruments for atmospheric profiling and subsurface ice mapping, and serve as a communications hub with advanced data storage and computing capabilities.
- The mission will launch on Relativity's reusable Terran R rocket, with funding supported by an undisclosed philanthropic organization, and will act as a proof of concept for future solar system exploration missions.
- Eric Schmidt, Relativity’s CEO and former Google executive, has emphasized expanding space access and innovation, while the company focuses on advancing the Terran R launch vehicle with a first launch expected around 2027.
- Schmidt and his philanthropic ventures are also involved in other space science projects, including the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Observatory System, featuring a large space telescope planned for launch on Terran R as early as 2028.
