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It was a matter of time, with governments racing to clinch the first Mars laurels, that private companies would start offering rides to the red planet.
Italy’s Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) became the first client who’s signed on to send scientific experiments aboard SpaceX’s first commercial flights to Mars — where Elon Musk’s space company has yet to land.
“Italy is going to Mars!” ASI President Teodoro Valente announced on social media, with Italian news outlet ANSA reporting the agency’s payloads will feature a plant growth experiment, a weather surveillance station and a radiation sensor for data collection.
″#MadeinItaly on #Mars,” Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso celebrated, while SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell declared open season for the company’s Mars launch bookings.
