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.
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.
There is a 0.1% chance that SpaceX will land people on Mars before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.