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The “bromance” between the president-elect and his “first buddy” set sight on the stars during another historic launch by SpaceX.

Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump traveled to SpaceX’s Starbase off Boca Chica Beach outside Brownsville, Texas where he joined founder and CEO Elon Musk to observe the launch of Starship Flight 6. There, he was treated to a front-row seat as ingenuity marched another step closer toward interplanetary travel.

Accompanied by an entourage of GOP lawmakers that included Sens. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, as well as Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, the president-elect arrived at Starbase, after his motorcade included a Tesla Cybertruck, and offered up a quick hug to Musk in moments captured by Deputy Director of Communications Margo Martin.

As the group, which also included family members like Donald Trump Jr. and Kai Trump, who dubbed the entrepreneur with “uncle status,” in addition to Federal Communications Commission Commissioner and Chair designee Brandan Carr and U.S. Space Force General B. Chance Saltzman, awaited the launch, the president-elect was treated to detailed explanations of the mission directly from the entrepreneur.

Ahead of the trip, Trump posted to Truth Social, “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 Elon Musk and the Great Patriots involved in this incredible project!”

Throughout the final months of the campaign, Trump marveled at Musk’s achievements concerning SpaceX with a nod to the reusable boosters.

“Now, if that were government, you wouldn’t see that for another 50-100 years. But it was Elon!” said the GOP leader at a rally in July. “I said, ‘That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.’ And you say how long would it take government to come up with that one, I don’t think they ever heard of it. Perhaps they still haven’t heard of it. But, you know, he’s a very advanced person and he’s doing other things that are great…we have to make life good for our smart people. And he’s as smart as you get.”

Of the mission itself, a second attempt to catch the booster was scratched at the last minute after conditions failed to meet the necessary criteria, but the launch did include a number of tests toward future launches for stress, orbital re-ignition, and payload.

Musk posted after the test flight, “Successful ocean landing of Starship! We will do one more ocean landing of the ship. If that goes well, then SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower.”

While Trump’s commitment to space exploration included restarting the National Space Council in 2017 and setting a target to return to the Moon by 2024 through the Artemis mission, just some of the policies that had earned him the endorsement of Apollo 11 astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin, SpaceX’s CEO continued his own goal of a manned flight to Mars by 2028.

Sharing a video of Starship’s successful splashdown in the Indian Ocean, Musk expressed, “The biggest technology challenge remaining for Starship is a fully & immediately reusable heat shield. Being able to land the ship, refill propellant & launch right away with no refurbishment or laborious inspection. That is the acid test.”

He maintained, “I am highly confident that we can send several uncrewed Starships to Mars in 2 years. If those ships don’t increment the crater count on Mars, then crewed ships can be sent in 4 years.”

Kevin Haggerty
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