Interplanetary Sciences Program
Interplanetary Sciences Program
Science Unlocked
The Interplanetary Sciences Program is an initiative to enable radically more science per dollar by building the next generation of interplanetary capabilities that make scientific discovery more capable and accessible. The program will:
- Fly deep space science missions to collect data throughout the Solar System
- Develop and fly foundational technologies and payloads to advance high-priority research goals
- Partner with philanthropic endeavors, NASA, industry, and academic institutions, demonstrating a new model for public-private science collaboration
Our First Step
The program’s first mission will be a Mars science orbiter launching in 2028 which will:
- Map shallow subsurface ice and geology
- Characterize Martian weather
- Enable next-generation onboard data processing
- Demonstrate a new philanthropic public-private partnership model for space science
- Share scientific data with the world to foster open collaboration and maximize learning
Instruments for Discovery
The first mission will fly key scientific payloads including:
- An atmospheric profiling instrument suite built by NASA Ames to measure winds, temperatures, clouds, and dust in the atmosphere and planetary energy balance, providing critical data for anchoring global circulation models
- A shallow radar sounder to map subsurface ice and geology, revealing climate and geologic history and high-value landing sites
Interplanetary Data Infrastructure
To further scientific discovery, the 2028 science mission will fly a Relay Data Center capable of the onboard execution of complex algorithms, advanced AI models, autonomous responsive science operations, and returning large data volumes to Earth. These capabilities will be complementary to the growing Mars telecommunications ecosystem. The platform will combine:
- High-bandwidth optical and RF communications between Mars and Earth
- RF relay to the Mars surface for current rovers and future explorers
- Massive data storage
- Server-class compute
- Robust delay-tolerant networking protocols
Building Our Future
At Relativity Space, we aim to make access to space more open, reliable, and routine, enabling science and innovation beyond our planet. Our Terran R rocket and the Interplanetary Sciences Program are building blocks for this vision. Join us.