NASA and Relativity Space have a public-private partnership to advance Mars atmospheric science with a planned Aeolus launch in 2028.

The Aeolus work is supported under NASA’s first six-year reimbursable Space Act Agreement.

Relativity Space will maintain the Aeolus spacecraft during science operations.

Relativity Space will manage spacecraft development and mission operations for Aeolus.

Aeolus will support planning for future entry, descent, and landing systems by improving atmospheric models and reducing risk for crewed and uncrewed landings.

NASA has a public-private partnership with Relativity Space to advance Mars atmospheric science.

NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will design, build, and integrate the Aeolus payload.

NASA plans to launch the Aeolus instrument suite in 2028.

NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition contract awardees include Airbus DS Geo Inc., GHGSat Inc., Hydrosat Inc., ICEYE US Inc., ImageSat International, Kuva US Inc., Muon Space Inc., Orbital Sidekick Inc., OroraTech USA Inc., Planet Labs Federal Inc., Space Sciences and Engineering LLC doing business as PlanetiQ, SATLANTIS US, Tomorrow Companies Inc. doing business as Tomorrow.io, and Wyvern Inc.

NASA is expanding the range of commercial satellite data available to researchers, civil agencies, and decision-makers.

The Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program On-Ramp 2 contract performance period began in 2023 and runs through Nov. 15, 2028.

NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition mission is intended to augment and complement Earth observations captured by NASA and its partners by identifying, evaluating, and acquiring commercial satellite data.

The awards fall under the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program On-Ramp 2 Multiple Award contract.

NASA contract awardees include Airbus DS Geo Inc., GHGSat Inc., Hydrosat Inc., ICEYE US Inc., ImageSat International, Kuva US Inc., Muon Space Inc., Orbital Sidekick Inc., OroraTech USA Inc., Planet Labs Federal Inc., Space Sciences and Engineering LLC doing business as PlanetiQ, SATLANTIS US, Tomorrow Companies Inc. doing business as Tomorrow.io, and Wyvern Inc.

NASA selected eight new companies and will acquire new data products from six existing Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition contract holders.

NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program On-Ramp 2 performance period began in 2023 and runs through Nov. 15, 2028.

NASA’s commercial measurements are intended to supplement its Earth-observing satellites with higher-resolution and more frequent observations.

NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition mission is designed to augment and complement Earth observations captured by NASA and its partners by identifying, evaluating, and acquiring commercial satellite data.

NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program On-Ramp 2 Multiple Award contract is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple-award contract.

NASA’s commercial satellite measurements are intended to supplement its Earth-observing satellites with higher-resolution and more frequent observations.

NASA selected eight new companies and will acquire new data products from six existing Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition contract holders to expand the commercial satellite data available to researchers, civil agencies, and decision-makers.

NASA set the original maximum value of the Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program On-Ramp 2 contract at US$476 million.

The original maximum value of NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program On-Ramp 2 Multiple Award contract was US$476 million.

The European Defence Agency secured an initial budget seven months earlier to jump-start a European intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance constellation.

The European Defence Agency will deliver ISR constellation requirements to ESA for in-orbit demonstrations.

Relativity Space will provide the spacecraft, rocket, and interplanetary flight operations for the Aeolus mission.

NASA has a public-private partnership with Relativity Space to send the Aeolus weather mission to Mars in 2028.

Relativity Space will maintain the physical spacecraft during at least one Martian year of Aeolus science operations.

NASA plans to process Aeolus data and support the mission’s science operations for at least one Martian year, or about 687 Earth days.

Delivering a NASA payload to Mars will give Relativity Space critical flight experience and demonstrate its deep-space capabilities.

NASA will build the Aeolus payload for the Mars mission.

A specialized camera on the Aeolus payload will capture daily images of atmospheric activity on Mars.

Relativity Space will test its Terran rocket and spacecraft on the Aeolus interplanetary mission to Mars.

The Aeolus project operates under a six-year Space Act Agreement between NASA and Relativity Space.

Researchers at NASA Ames Research Center in California will design and build the four instruments in the Aeolus payload.

The Aeolus mission will provide the first daily global look at Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds.

NASA will focus its Aeolus spending on scientific instruments and data processing rather than on developing a launch vehicle.

The Aeolus payload includes four specialized sensors that will measure surface energy, dust thickness, cloud properties, wind speeds, and temperatures up to 60 kilometres above the Martian surface.

Relativity Space said it will work with NASA, industry partners, and academic institutions on the Interplanetary Sciences Program.

Relativity Space launched the Interplanetary Sciences Program on 17 June 2026.

Relativity Space’s Interplanetary Sciences Program is intended to advance deep space science missions through foundational technologies and payloads.

Relativity Space was founded to innovate launch-system production through additive manufacturing.

China Long March Rocket Co Ltd tendered for unmanned maritime aerial photography using a drone to photograph first-stage booster recovery on Linghangzhe.

The Long March 10B is intended to reduce risk for China's crewed lunar landing program.

The Long March 10B is intended to reduce risk for China’s crewed lunar landing program.

China’s crewed lunar landing program will begin the Mengzhou-1 mission later in 2026.

The Long March 12 flew in mid-January and again on June 17 after a five-month gap between flights.

The Long March 10B first stage is almost completely identical to the Long March 10A first stage except for second-stage interfacing hardware.

Commercial Launch Pad 2 at the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site was upgraded to support the Long March 10B.

The Long March 10B first stage is almost identical to the Long March 10A first stage except for second-stage interfacing hardware.