Since winning the presidential election on November 5, Donald Trump has not left his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida without Elon Musk. The richest man in the world accompanied the president-elect to Washington last Wednesday for a meeting with congressmen prior to Trump’s visit to the White House. The weekend plan was to go on a private plane eating McDonald’s food to see a wrestling match in New York. And this Tuesday, Trump went to witness the launch of a SpaceX rocket in Brownsville (Texas) at the magnate’s invitation.
Musk guided the president through the space company’s facilities before the sixth test launch of the Starship, the SpaceX ship, powered by the Super Heavy rocket. After boarding his plane in Florida on the way to the launch site, Trump was full of praise for Musk: “I’m headed to the Great State of Texas to see the launch of the largest object ever elevated, not just into space, but simply rising off the ground. Good luck to Elon Musk and the Great Patriots involved in this incredible project!” he wrote on Truth, his social network. The Republican, however, did not bring the businessman any luck. Minutes after takeoff, mission managers suspended capture of the rocket for unspecified reasons and let it fall into the Gulf of Mexico.
A SpaceX spokesperson later explained that not all the criteria for capturing the rocket were met, so the flight director did not order the booster to return to the launch site, although without clarifying where the failure was.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump, at the SpaceX base in Brownsville (Texas).Brandon Bell (via REUTERS)
The empty ship launched on top rose for a near-circular loop around the world similar to October’s hour-long test flight, aiming for a controlled entry into the Indian Ocean after skimming through space. In this case, The landing was successfully completed.
This has apparently been a step back from the fifth test flight, which was a crucial moment in the evolution towards a fully and rapidly reusable launch system. The rocket launched in October successfully returned to the base and was caught by the mechanical arms of the launch and capture tower.
After that success, Trump began to brag about Musk’s achievements at campaign rallies. “Those arms grabbed him like you grab a baby, like you grab a small baby. And they hugged him and put him down, and there he was,” the candidate said in one of them.
Furthermore, on that same test flight, the Starship upper stage achieved a controlled entry and high-precision splashdown in the planned area of the Indian Ocean.
Elon Musk receives Donald Trump at the SpaceX base in Brownsville (Texas).Brandon Bell (via REUTERS)
The sixth test was aimed at expanding the capabilities of the ship and the booster and getting closer to reusing the entire system. The objectives included returning the booster once again to the launch site for capture, restarting a Raptor engine on the spacecraft, which would be necessary to return from orbit, and testing a set of experiments with heat shields and changes of maneuver for re-entry and descent of the ship over the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX wants to completely recover and reuse the Starship. Large-scale recycling would reduce the cost of transporting cargo and people to the Moon and, in the future, Mars, while speeding up the process. The recycling of SpaceX’s Falcon rockets that it launches from Florida and California has already allowed the company to be very competitive in the launch of satellites, revolutionizing a market that has become very lucrative for the company.
NASA has agreed to pay SpaceX more than $4 billion to land astronauts on the Moon on consecutive missions later this decade. Musk plans to launch a fleet of starships to one day build a city on Mars.
Moment of the rocket launch at the Boca Chica base, in Brownsville (Texas).Joe Skipper (REUTERS)
At the campaign rallies he gave to support Donald Trump, he mixed politics with his goals of creating a civilization on Mars. In his delirium, the billionaire claimed that Kamala Harris was just a “puppet” of a supposed machine that managed her to establish a one-party regime in the United States. If that happened, there would be harsh regulations and “getting to Mars would be impossible,” he maintained. “We will remain forever confined to the earth,” he warned at one of the rallies, in which he assured that “the entire future of civilization” was at stake.
“The regulatory pressure year after year is worse, and there are more regulatory agencies every year, more rules and regulations, until finally everything is illegal,” he said in those interventions. “We had our rockets sitting on the pad for two months ready to fly. How is it possible that SpaceX can build a gigantic rocket faster than the government can move paper from one table to another? So if that trend continues, which it will unless it’s a conscious effort to have deregulation and have sensible regulation, then Mars will be impossible. “We will be forever confined to Earth,” he argued, adding that he hoped Trump would relax the regulations, which would benefit him enormously.
Trump and Musk have shown great complicity recently. The richest man in the world has been giving his opinion on appointments, policies and all kinds of issues, in addition to becoming the president-elect’s shadow. The value of Musk’s companies has skyrocketed due to his apparent influence over the president and the task of drastically reforming the Administration and its regulations, which can directly benefit him, as he himself has freely admitted.
Last week, at a party at Mar-a-Lago, the president-elect said Musk’s IQ is “about as high as it gets.” “He launched a rocket three weeks ago and then went to Pennsylvania to campaign because he considered this more important than launching rockets that cost billions of dollars,” he said, before joking about the billionaire’s constant presence at Mar-a-Lago : “He likes this place. “I can’t get him out of here.” “And you know what? “I like having him here,” he added. This Tuesday Musk was the host at his base and Trump was the guest.
Thank you for your interest in interviewing us about the recent developments in the SpaceX program and President-elect Trump’s involvement. Our first guest is Dr. Jessica Johnson, a renowned aerospace engineer with extensive experience in the field. Our second guest is Mr. Peter Smith, an avid space enthusiast and a member of the SpaceX fan club.
Dr. Johnson, could you please share your thoughts on the recent failure of the SpaceX rocket launch and the challenges faced by the company in achieving fully reusable launch systems?
Dr. Jessica Johnson: Sure, the recent failure of the Starship test flight is not surprising given the complexity of the mission and the fact that it was a test flight. SpaceX has been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in rocket technology, and while they’ve had some successes, there are bound to be setbacks along the way. The ultimate goal of completely reusable launch systems is essential for reducing the cost of space exploration and opening up new possibilities for human settlement on other planets. However, it’s not an easy feat to achieve, and it requires careful testing and refinement of all the components involved.
Mr. Smith, as a SpaceX fan, how do you view their progress so far, and what are your expectations for the future of the company under the new leadership?
Mr. Peter Smith: I am very excited about the progress SpaceX has made so far under Elon Musk’s leadership. They have disrupted the space industry by making space travel more affordable and accessible to everyone. Their achievements in reusable rockets have been groundbreaking, and I have high hopes for the Starship program. Under the new leadership, I expect them to continue pushing the envelope and making even more significant strides in space exploration.
Dr. Johnson, how do you see the role of the government in regulating private companies like SpaceX? Do you think President-elect Trump’s relaxed regulations will benefit the company or pose a risk?
Dr. Jessica Johnson: The government plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of space travel and protecting the public interest. However, there needs to be a balance between regulation and innovation. Too much regulation can stifle progress, but not enough can lead to disaster. As for President-elect Trump’s
