SpaceX gears up to catch Starship again — and Donald Trump may join Elon Musk for the launch
SpaceX/Getty Images
- SpaceX is planning to launch Starship for the sixth time on Tuesday.
- It will once again try to catch Starship's booster rocket with its "Mechazilla" launch tower.
- Reports suggest that President-elect Trump may join Elon Musk for the launch.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump have been inseparable since the election — and now Trump will reportedly attend the latest launch of Musk's giant Starship rocket.
SpaceX is set to conduct the sixth test flight of Starship, the 165-foot spacecraft that Musk wants to use to take humanity to Mars, on Tuesday.
After Starship blasts off from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas, the rocket company will again attempt to "catch" the craft's Falcon Heavy booster rocket in the giant chopstick arms of the "Mechazilla" launch tower.
If all goes to plan, it will be the second time SpaceX has been able to successfully return to Earth the booster stage of the most powerful rocket ever built.
The company's fifth launch in October was widely hailed as a landmark moment for space exploration, attracting praise from other tech CEOs, including Google's Sundar Pichai.
This time, the launch could be watched by the incoming US president.
Multiple reports on Monday suggested that Donald Trump is planning to attend the Starship launch — another indication of just how important a role Musk will likely play in the next administration.
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Musk was one of Trump's biggest supporters during the US election, spending at least $130 million on a pro-Trump super PAC and campaigning for Trump in crucial swing states.
The billionaire is set to head up a "Department of Government Efficiency" tasked with cutting government spending under Trump.
The two men have been frequently spotted together in recent weeks. On Saturday, they both attended a UFC championship fight in New York City.
There are already signs that Musk's close association with the president-elect is paying off.
Trump this week nominated Brendan Carr, a vocal supporter of Musk, to chair the Federal Communications Commission.
Carr previously blasted the FCC's decision to deny SpaceX nearly $886 million in government subsidies to provide satellite internet access in rural areas via the company's Starlink service.
Race to Mars
Starship's sixth launch on Tuesday comes as Musk ramps up plans to put humans on Mars before the end of the decade.
The Tesla CEO has previously said SpaceX will launch a number of uncrewed Starships to the red planet when the next launch window opens in 2026.
Crewed missions are expected to follow two years later, although experts have warned that Musk will face numerous obstacles in getting to Mars in such a tight timeline.
CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
One of the main barriers may be regulatory. Musk has frequently clashed with the Federal Aviation Authority over the pace of Starship launches and the agency's investigations into the rocket's impact on the surrounding environment.
Research released on Friday suggests that the sonic boom produced by Starship's fifth launch, which was loud enough to set off car alarms several miles away, is so powerful it risks causing structural damage in nearby towns.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.