The Walt Disney Company Italia and D-Orbit, a space-tech scale-up, have announced a groundbreaking collaboration as part of the promotional campaign for *Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu*, the brand-new *Star Wars* adventure set to hit Italian cinemas on 20 May 2026. A faithful reproduction of the Mandalorian’s famous helmet has been sent into orbit aboard Wayfinder, the 22nd commercial mission of ION Satellite Carrier, the ‘space taxi’ with which D-Orbit launches its clients’ satellites into orbit. From an altitude of over 500 kilometres, the company’s in-house developed cameras are filming the object with the Earth in the background, generating unique images.
“This collaboration is an example of how technology and science fiction can complement each other to create something truly exciting. I am very proud of the work carried out by the team, especially those who developed and operated the camera that filmed the footage in orbit. Their ingenuity has made a dream come true,” Renato Panesi, co-founder of D-Orbit, told Startupbusiness.
The helmet on board the ION is a replica created from a 3D scan of the original, provided by Disney, machined from a solid block of 6000-series aluminium and fitted with specialised electronic and optical components. Prior to launch, the payload underwent, alongside ION, the environmental and functional qualification programme required for any commercial payload: vibration tests to simulate launch stresses, thermal vacuum chamber tests to replicate in-space operating conditions, and functional checks of the integrated system. The images captured on board ION were taken by cameras developed in-house by D-Orbit for its own orbital vehicles. The acquisition phase began with the commissioning of the payload, during which the correct framing of the helmet and the quality of the footage in the operational environment were verified.
“Behind these images lies the extraordinary work of a team, thanks to whom we were able to deliver sequences to Disney Italia that lived up to their expectations. For many of us, it has also been a deeply fulfilling collaboration: working on a project linked to Star Wars, a saga that has always been part of our collective imagination, is a source of pride and enthusiasm that can be felt throughout the company,” said Matteo Andreas Lorenzoni, director of D-Orbit’s Orbital Access business unit, in a statement.
Incorporating the spacecraft into an existing commercial mission, without requiring a dedicated launch or leaving any separate objects in orbit, is a decision that is consistent with the principles of sustainability that guide both D-Orbit and Disney Italia.
As a Benefit Corporation registered under Italian law, D-Orbit designs its vehicles and missions with a view to the sustainable use of the orbital environment: each ION is designed to carry payloads from multiple customers on a single flight, and at the end of the mission it is removed from orbit via a controlled decommissioning manoeuvre, in full compliance with international regulations.
Wayfinder was launched on 30 March 2026 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-16 mission, and deployed into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 510 kilometres. The mission contains a number of hidden tributes to the franchise: the name itself, Wayfinder, echoes the famous Mandalorian greeting ‘This is the Way’; the official patch, when turned upside down, reveals the silhouette of a Mandalorian helmet hidden within the launch design.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian and Grogu embark on their most thrilling mission yet in *Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu*, a brand-new Star Wars adventure from Lucasfilm, coming to cinemas across Italy on 20 May 2026. The Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords still roam the galaxy. As it seeks to protect everything the Rebel Alliance fought for, the fledgling New Republic enlists the legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu. Directed by Jon Favreau, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu stars Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, with Jeremy Allen White providing the voice in the original version. It is written by Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor, and produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Ian Bryce, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, with Karen Gilchrist, Johan Bartnicki and Carrie Beck serving as executive producers. The music is composed by Ludwig Göransson.
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