President-elect Donald Trump, who once ridiculed Elon Musk’s SpaceX for launching “rocketships to nowhere,” fully embraced the company Tuesday during a trip to coastal Texas to see the latest test of the Starship megarocket.
Trump, wearing a red MAGA hat, watched from under a tent with Musk at his side as the megarocket launched into the sky near Brownsville. The rocket is a key part of Musk’s plans to populate Mars.
The appearance was another sign of the deepening relationship between Trump and Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest businessmen, who is serving as an all-purpose adviser after having helped Trump win the White House for a second time two weeks ago.
Trump, who has endorsed a Mars mission, announced his visit on X, the Musk-owned social media app.
“I’m heading to the Great State of Texas to watch the launch of the largest object ever to be elevated, not only to Space, but simply by lifting off the ground. Good luck to @ElonMusk and the Great Patriots involved in this incredible project!” he said.
They were joined by several other guests, including Donald Trump Jr., Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Linda McMahon, the former professional wrestling executive who is helping lead Trump’s transition.
Musk talked excitedly to Trump during the launch event as Trump watched mostly stoically. The rocket took off about 5 p.m. ET, and shortly afterward, its booster appeared to land successfully in the Gulf of Mexico.
Musk then gave Trump a tour of a nearby office, and Trump mingled with guests outside. They did not immediately deliver public remarks as the Starship’s upper stage flew on a trajectory toward the Indian Ocean.
Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, said on X that he was honored to have Trump at the event.
The launch was the sixth flight test for the massive Starship rocket, which is nearly 400 feet tall. Last month, the booster completed its fifth flight test with a dramatic catch in the arms of the company’s launch tower.
This time, SpaceX had the “Super Heavy” booster land in the Gulf of Mexico rather than attempt a second catch by the launch tower.
About an hour after launch, the upper stage of the megarocket re-entered the lower atmosphere above the Indian Ocean, according to video from SpaceX. It then flipped around, so its nose was facing upward, and splashed down in the ocean, the video showed.
SpaceX is a major government contractor, with $3.8 billion in contracts with federal agencies this year, according to government data, and after Musk helped propel Trump to a second term in the White House, it has gained a valuable political supporter.
The rocket is being designed to carry out missions to the moon and eventually Mars, and it has steadily passed new milestones in a series of launches over the past year.
Trump’s decision to view the test in person is a sign of how closely he and Musk have been working together in the two weeks since Trump’s electoral comeback. Musk has been with Trump nearly daily, not only at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida but also in New York at the UFC championship over the weekend.
Musk is also co-leading a commission on government efficiency for Trump.
Trump is a relatively recent convert to the potential value of SpaceX’s services. After he mocked Musk’s “rocketships to nowhere” in 2022, Trump in speeches this year frequently expressed awe at the company’s ability to land rockets with precision, and he has said he wants the U.S. to send a rocket to Mars during his administration.
