NASA has announced its decision to partner with Relativity Space, a private aerospace company founded by Eric Schmidt in 2017. The agency chose Relativity Space over SpaceX after an evaluation process that included several rounds of testing and validation. This development marks the first time NASA will use a commercial rocket to send humans to Mars.
Relativity Space's Terran 1 rocket has already demonstrated its ability to reach orbit, with multiple test flights conducted in recent years. While it hasn't yet reached the necessary altitude for interplanetary travel, the company claims that its technology can be scaled up to support missions to the Red Planet. NASA plans to use Relativity Space's rocket on a mission known as Artemis II, which aims to send astronauts to Mars in 2024.
The partnership with Relativity Space comes as SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration with its Starship program. While SpaceX has demonstrated impressive capabilities for crewed missions to the Moon and beyond, it remains to be seen whether its technology can overcome significant technical challenges before sending humans to Mars. The selection of Relativity Space is seen as a major coup for NASA's efforts in developing a human mission to the Red Planet.