Italy signs deal with Musk's SpaceX to take experiments to Mars

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) has signed an agreement with SpaceX, owned by the businessman Elon Musk, to send scientific experiments to Mars on the first Starship missions. The announcement was made this Thursday, the 7th, by ASI President Teodoro Valente.

"Italy is going to Mars! ASI and SpaceX have signed an unprecedented agreement to carry Italian experiments on the first Starship flights to Mars with customers. The payloads will collect scientific data during the missions," announced the president of the Italian agency, Teodoro Valente, on his X social media account.

According to him, the payloads will be carried on the vehicle's maiden voyages and will aim to collect data during the approximately six-month flight between Earth and Mars, in addition to operating on the Martian surface.

The experiments include a study of plant growth in a space environment, a meteorological monitoring station, and a sensor to measure cosmic radiation. These data, the ASI stated, will be essential for planning human missions, improving life support systems, and increasing astronaut safety.

Starship is considered the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed and is designed to be fully reusable, aiming to reduce the cost of access to space. The first unmanned mission is scheduled for next year, and crewed missions to Mars are expected to begin in 2030.