Italy Signs Deal for Mars Experiments on SpaceX Starship

story

AUG 8

Above: SpaceX Starship Flight 8 on March 6, 2025, in Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Image copyright: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

story last updated AUG 10

The Spin

Narrative A

This partnership showcases Italy's forward-thinking approach to space exploration and technological innovation, while positioning Italian science at the forefront of Mars research. Through this deal, Italian equipment will be among the first to reach Mars — proving the nation's space capabilities on an interplanetary scale.

Italian Space Agency

Narrative B

SpaceX's Starship will almost certainly never see the surface of Mars. Despite the spacecraft repeatedly failing in numerous test flights, there have been no efforts to revise the vessel's materials, core structure, or engine and fuel setup. If SpaceX persists in using a failed design, Starship will continue to fall short.

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