The Italian Space Agency and SpaceX have signed an unprecedented agreement to transport Italian experiments on the first Starship missions intended to deliver commercial payloads to the red planet.The announcement was made by ASI President Teodoro Valente. The payloads will include, among other things, a plant growth experiment, a meteorological monitoring station, and a radiation sensor. The goal is to collect scientific data during the approximately six-month interplanetary flight phase that Starship will undertake from Earth to Mars and subsequently to the Martian surface. Italy continues to be at the forefront of space technology, bringing human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond ever closer.Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso: "Made in Italy on Mars. Our strategy has been rewarded." "Made in Italy on Mars. This result confirms, once again, our strategy to strengthen national industry, promote Italian talent, and consolidate our country's presence in major space exploration programs." This was stated by Senator Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy and Delegate for Space and Aerospace Policies, commenting on the use of Made in Italy technologies in the Starship missions dedicated to transporting cargo to the red planet, the result of an agreement between the Italian Space Agency and SpaceX.
QuoteItaly continues to lead in space exploration!Yes, I remember Italy putting the first satellite into orbit, the first human into orbit, the first spacewalk, the first rendezvous and docking, the first landing on the Moon, the first space stations and reusable spacecraft, the first robotic landers and rovers on Mars,... The list is endless. Mainly when I think of Italian exploration, I think of the guy who accidentally found a pair of new continents as he was trying to get into Asia through the backdoor so the Portuguese wouldn't catch him at it. He was also using another country's ships to do this. I wonder if the American Starships heading to Mars with Italian baggage aboard will slam into a hitherto unknown planet?
Italy continues to lead in space exploration!
The news here is that SpaceX is now selling cargo service to Mars, basically equivalent of NASA's planned Mars CLPS program, before that program is even started.
