NASA has announced a new public-private partnership with Relativity Space aimed at advancing Mars atmospheric science, with a planned launch of the Aeolus instrument suite in 2028.
Under the arrangement, NASA will provide the Aeolus atmospheric-science instrument payload suite, while Relativity Space will supply the spacecraft, rocket, and cruise operations to deliver the instruments to Mars.
NASA said the model is intended to combine the agency’s scientific capabilities with commercial development and investment, allowing NASA to focus resources on what it described as high-value science while increasing the frequency of missions collecting data relevant to future human exploration.
“Public-private partnerships like this are a force multiplier for science,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said. “By pairing NASA’s world-class instruments with commercial innovation and investment, we can deliver more science, more often, and reduce the time it takes to get essential data into the hands of researchers preparing for future human missions to Mars.”
Aeolus is described as a NASA-developed suite of four complementary instruments designed to provide an integrated, daily, global view of Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds. NASA said the data will improve atmospheric models and support planning for future entry, descent and landing systems, reducing risk for both crewed and uncrewed landings.
NASA said Aeolus builds on more than two decades of Mars atmospheric research, citing missions including MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution), the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Mars Odyssey.
Researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will design, build, and integrate the payload, while Relativity Space will manage spacecraft development and mission operations.
“As NASA’s Innovation Center of Excellence, Ames is committed to delivering the technologies, capabilities, and creative partnerships that enable the agency’s boldest missions,” said Dr. Eugene Tu, center director at NASA Ames. “Aeolus reflects how innovative collaboration accelerates science and strengthens the foundation needed for one day landing humans on Mars.”
NASA said the Aeolus payload suite includes four NASA-built instruments:
Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS-Ozone): Measures wind and temperature profiles from the surface up to approximately 37 miles (60 km). A collaboration with GATS.
Thermal Limb Sounder (TLS): Provides vertical temperature profiles and observations of dust and water-ice clouds. A collaboration with Xiomas Technologies.
Surface Radiometric Sensor Package (SuRSeP): Measures surface energy balance, dust, and cloud properties.
Wide-Field Context Camera (WFCC): Captures daily global images of atmospheric activity.
NASA said it will support operations of the science instruments for at least one Martian year, while Relativity Space maintains the spacecraft. NASA will also develop a data-processing pipeline to convert raw measurements into ready-to-use data products for broader scientific use.
The agency said the work is supported under NASA’s first six-year reimbursable Space Act Agreement, which it described as providing a stable framework for sustained collaboration and mission continuity.
