NASA has selected Relativity Space, now owned by Eric Schmidt, to develop a spacecraft for a Mars mission, intensifying competition with SpaceX in the race to the Red Planet.

Relativity Space plans to launch a Mars orbiter in 2028 as part of a new initiative to privately develop planetary missions.

Relativity Space—a rocket maker acquired by former Google executive chair Eric Schmidt last year after stumbling on the path to orbit—might just beat SpaceX to Mars.