Relativity Space, the rocket builder purchased last year by former Google executive chair Eric Schmidt following a launch setback, may reach Mars before SpaceX does.

NASA announced on Tuesday that it selected the firm to construct a spacecraft, integrate a set of scientific instruments, place the vehicle in orbit, and guide it to Mars.

The agreement follows the pattern of prior NASA pacts with SpaceX for station resupply and with Firefly Aerospace for lunar landings. The agency focuses on the research goals while the commercial partner supplies affordable hardware.

Known as Aeolus, the mission will carry four instruments that will deliver the first daily worldwide observations of dust, winds, and temperatures in the Martian atmosphere. NASA expects the information to improve safety for future landers and crewed landings on the surface.

By combining NASA instruments with commercial development and funding, the agency can increase the volume of science returned and shorten the time needed to deliver data to teams planning human expeditions, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman stated.

The spacecraft is targeted for launch in 2028. That schedule requires Relativity to finish the Aeolus bus and complete its Terran R rocket on an aggressive timetable. The agency did not reveal the contract value, and the company declined to comment.

Isaacman, who has flown on two private SpaceX flights, has promoted this type of partnership in which the company shares development costs so NASA can stretch its resources. The approach has become standard for ambitious projects that avoid placing all financial risk on the government.

NASA nevertheless accepts technical risk because Relativity remains untested in flight and the mission could fail to reach orbit. Earlier commercial partners have encountered bankruptcy or landing issues. The company hopes the work will open additional markets such as satellite deployment and lunar cargo services, although demand for those deep-space offerings is still uncertain.

Founded in 2015 by engineers from SpaceX and Blue Origin, Relativity sought to rely heavily on 3D printing to lower rocket costs. Its initial Terran 1 vehicle flew once in 2023 and did not reach orbit. The firm then shifted focus to the larger Terran R.

Funding difficulties arose before the new rocket could fly, leading Schmidt to acquire majority ownership and assume the chief executive role. He has remained quiet about the investment yet has voiced interest in orbital data centers and is believed to be supporting a space telescope called Lazuli through his family foundation.

Observers questioned the move into a crowded, capital-heavy sector, yet delays at Blue Origin may create openings for new launch providers if Terran R succeeds.

The NASA award also positions Schmidt against Elon Musk, with whom he has clashed publicly over artificial intelligence safety. Although Musk has long discussed Mars plans, SpaceX has yet to fly its own mission to the planet.

A successful 2028 launch by Relativity would mark the first privately funded spacecraft to arrive at Mars.