Mars-mission

NASA announced Space Reactor-1 Freedom, the first nuclear-reactor-powered interplanetary spacecraft, targeting an uncrewed Mars mission launching by late 2028 and arriving in 2029.

NASA selects Relativity Space (Eric Schmidt) for a 2028 Mars mission, Aeolus, under a new public-private partnership to provide spacecraft, rocket, and cruise operations with four instruments studying the Martian atmosphere.

ISSpresso case study shows that spaceflight costs are driven by certification and safety-overhead, not launch price, with concrete data on a $150 Earth espresso maker becoming a multi-million, 20 kg space hardware item and broader regulatory implications for Mars missions.