NASA has chosen Relativity Space, the rocket company founded by former Google exec Eric Schmidt, to launch its Aeolus payload to Mars in 2028. The mission will provide the first comprehensive daily view of Martian winds, temperatures and atmospheric conditions.

The Aeolus payload carries four instruments designed to study the Martian atmosphere, directly aiding future entry, descent and landing systems for safer astronaut missions.

Relativity Space, led by Schmidt since 2025, launched its 'world’s first 3D-printed rocket', Terran 1, in 2023, though it failed shortly after launch. The company's larger Terran R is scheduled to make its maiden voyage later this year.

This partnership marks a significant advancement in public-private collaboration for space exploration, but Mars colonies may still be a distant dream for now.