President-elect Donald Trump shared on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he’ll be joining SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at the launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket this Tuesday. The launch will take place at SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas. This marks another public appearance by Trump and Musk together, as Trump has been hinting that Musk will have a significant role in his upcoming administration.
Musk, who has been a close ally to Trump, was also seen with him at a UFC event in New York City recently. Plus, Trump has picked Musk, along with billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead a new government department focused on efficiency. The exact details of the department are still unclear, but it could give Musk a say in agencies that work with his companies, like NASA.
Musk has been a big supporter of Trump’s campaign, showing up at rallies and even donating to his reelection efforts. Trump has often praised Musk’s work, especially when it comes to the Starship rocket.
So, what exactly is Starship?
Starship is a massive rocket that SpaceX has been working on for years. At 400 feet tall, it’s the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. SpaceX recently achieved a major milestone by catching the rocket’s booster mid-air during a test flight—a huge step forward for the company.
During this test flight, the Starship rocket will fly over the Gulf of Mexico and land in the Indian Ocean, just like in previous tests. SpaceX hopes to catch the booster with two giant mechanical arms, just like they did last time.
Starship is also set to play a big role in NASA’s plans to go back to the moon. As part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the lunar surface, NASA has paid SpaceX $4 million to develop a special spacecraft for the mission.
Musk’s dream for Starship is even bigger: he hopes to eventually use it to send humans to Mars. His goal is to launch the first missions to Mars by 2026, with crewed flights planned for 2028.
So, whether it’s helping NASA reach the moon or making trips to Mars a reality, Starship is a key part of Musk’s vision for the future of space travel.
