AP Images SpaceX Starship launching
Donald Trump is in Boca Chica, Texas today for SpaceX’s Starship launch. Trump announced his plans to join Elon Musk, stating 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!”
Trump Communications Director Steven Cheung posted an aerial view of the SpaceX Starbase as Trump Force One arrived in Brownsville, Texas:
SpaceX announced that the launch would be live streamed on X: “All systems and weather are looking good for today’s flight test of Starship. The live launch webcast on @X will go live ~40 minutes before liftoff, which is targeted for 4:00 p.m. CT →”
The launch was Starship’s sixth flight test, with test goals including the booster returning to the launch site, reignition of the Raptor engine in space, and heat-shield experiments. Musk responded to Trump’s announcement on attending the launch, stating in a post on X:
The reusable Super Heavy booster successfully returned just offshore from the Starbase launch facility, safely landing in the Gulf of Mexico around seven minutes after liftoff:
SpaceX stated upcoming test flights will include several upgrades to the Starship system, as the space technology company continues to work towards its Mars colonization program:
Future ships, starting with the vehicle planned for the seventh flight test, will fly with significant upgrades including redesigned forward flaps, larger propellant tanks, and the latest generation tiles and secondary thermal protection layers as we continue to iterate towards a fully reusable heat shield. Learnings from this and subsequent flight tests will continue to make the entire Starship system more reliable as we close in on full and rapid reusability.
