On Tuesday, SpaceX, the aerospace company led by Elon Musk, launched its Starship spacecraft for its sixth Earth-orbit test flight, marking another step toward its lunar and Mars exploration goal. Former U.S. President-elect Donald Trump made a notable appearance at the launch site, observing the event alongside SpaceX CEO Musk.
The Starship lifted off at 4 p.m. (Central Time) from the Starbase launch facility on the southern coast of Texas, near Boca Chica Beach. As with previous test flights, SpaceX streamed the entire launch process live online.
SpaceX has conducted several Earth-orbit test flights, including in April and November last year and in March, June, and October of this year. While the first four flights encountered significant setbacks, the fifth flight on October 13 was largely successful, completing nearly all its planned procedures.
In addition, SpaceX reached a major milestone in Starship development by successfully recovering a large rocket booster mid-air using the launch tower’s chopstick arms, known as Mechazilla. It’s important to note that these Starship test flights are unmanned, with neither astronauts nor cargo onboard.
Trump and Musk were both present at the launch site. Political analysts suggest that Trump’s attendance highlights Musk’s increasing influence within Trump’s transition team, which is currently finalizing key cabinet appointments for the upcoming administration. After making significant political contributions to Trump’s campaign, Musk has become a close ally, regularly accompanying Trump at major events since Election Day on November 5, further solidifying their relationship. Musk has been tapped to co-lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency in the incoming administration.
The New York Times noted that Trump’s presence at the launch indicates Musk’s growing closeness to the future president. At the same time, CNN described it as another indication of Musk’s expanding role within Trump’s inner circle.