DISASTER! Europe tries to COPY SpaceX Starship but...Elon Musk Laugh
DISASTER! Europe tries to COPY SpaceX Starship but...Elon Musk Laugh
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DISASTER! Europe tries to COPY SpaceX Starship but...Elon Musk Laugh
If SpaceX’s Starship blueprints were ever stolen, Europe would definitely be the prime suspect.
Elon Musk’s spacecraft are increasingly becoming the new standard in space, not just China, which has already drawn heavy inspiration from them, but now Europe is copying even more boldly. Recently, a European company unveiled a reusable spacecraft concept that looks 99% identical to Starship’s upper stage, while the booster…nobody really knows where they got the idea from.
This has raised more questions about whether the design is actually feasible, or if it’s just a complete disaster.
Now let’s break it down in today’s episode of Alpha Tech.
DISASTER! Europe tries to COPY SpaceX Starship but...Elon Musk Laugh
In any field, when people copy or take inspiration, they usually turn to what’s already proven to work. In rocketry, that rule is even stricter, we’re talking hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars at stake, and no one can afford to waste it.
That explains why China often looks to SpaceX’s Falcon 9, a rocket with hundreds of successful flights and tens of billions in revenue. Some clear examples? Tianlong-3 and Zhuque-3.
Yet, a European company called Avio is trying to copy Starship, almost down to the smallest detail. On paper it’s just a concept, but side by side with the real Starship, you’d easily mistake one for the other.
The problem is, Starship itself is still experimental. It’s flown only ten times so far, with the 11th flight just around the corner, and even SpaceX is still ironing out the tech. So for another company just “borrowing the idea,” the odds of success look even shakier.
So what is this really? A genuine push for innovation, or just a risky bet? Either way, with SpaceX charging ahead, it’s no surprise Avio wants in on the action.
DISASTER! Europe tries to COPY SpaceX Starship but...Elon Musk Laugh
And that brings us to the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney on September 29, 2025, where ESA and Italian aerospace company Avio signed a €40 million deal, about $47 million, to build what they’re calling the “Mini Starship.” Europe’s shot at joining the reusability game.
According to Giorgio Tumino, ESA’s chief technical advisor for space transportation, this contract will advance key propulsion and re-entry technologies for the upper stage, while also driving its overall design. In his words: “We’ve shaped this activity to prepare for long-term reusability, but also to meet the short-term needs of upcoming Vega products.”
So what does that mean in practice? Over the next two years, the team aims to roll out a flight-ready demonstrator and the ground systems to support it — basically Europe’s shot at finally earning a real seat in the race for reusable rockets.
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