President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he was traveling to Texas to personally witness the latest launch for SpaceX’s Starship megarocket, a key part of billionaire Elon Musk’s plans to populate Mars.
Trump, who has endorsed a Mars mission, announced his plans in a post on X.
“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.
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Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, said on X he was honored to have Trump at the event.
SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship lifts off during a test flight from Boca Chica, Texas on Oct. 13.
The launch, scheduled for about 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT), would be 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.
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, the company 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.
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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 but also in New York over the weekend at the UFC championship.
Starship’s Super Heavy Booster is grappled at the launch pad on Oct. 13.
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 mocking Musk’s “rocketships to nowhere” in 2022, Trump in speeches this year has 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.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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