WATCH: Trump Looks On Proudly As Starship Rocket Hurtles Into Space

Under the shadow of a gleaming Cybertruck and the Texas sun, President-elect Donald Trump joined Elon Musk to witness the historic sixth test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket. The massive vehicle, the most powerful rocket ever built, thundered into the sky from SpaceX’s sprawling facility near Brownsville, delivering an awe-inspiring display of American innovation.

The launch, a critical step in SpaceX’s ambitious plans to land astronauts on the moon and, eventually, send humans to Mars, drew applause from the president, Musk, and a crowd of onlookers.

The test flight, which began at 5 p.m. EST, sent the 397-foot-tall rocket on an up-and-down trip into space to evaluate safety and performance upgrades. For the first time, Starship ignited one of its Raptor engines in space, a milestone that SpaceX celebrated as a breakthrough.

The rocket’s Super Heavy booster, however, opted for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico rather than attempting a land-based recovery. SpaceX deemed it safer to avoid using its “chopstick” arms to catch the booster.

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Starship itself successfully completed its journey, splashing down in the Indian Ocean after a flawless descent. The intact landing represents significant progress for SpaceX, which has faced challenges in previous attempts to recover and reuse its massive spacecraft.

SpaceX engineer Kate Tice said, “Turns out the vehicle had more capability than our calculations predicted, and that is why we test like we fly.”

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President Trump looked super proud of his friend Elon Musk and of America as that SpaceX rocket lifted off.

American excellence is being displayed on the world stage yet again. pic.twitter.com/Sx0lRZzUsY

— George (@BehizyTweets) November 19, 2024

During his presidency, Trump made revitalizing NASA and advancing American space dominance a cornerstone of his administration. Trump and Musk have showcased a burgeoning partnership that could significantly influence both political and technological landscapes. Trump recently appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The advisory body aims to streamline federal operations, reduce expenditures, and eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Musk has been a prominent supporter of Trump’s recent election campaign, contributing over $118 million through the America PAC, a super PAC he established to bolster Trump’s candidacy. Their alliance has been evident in joint appearances, including attending a UFC championship fight in New York City.

Reports suggest that Trump’s administration plans to streamline regulations for self-driving vehicles, a move that has already positively impacted Tesla’s stock value as well.

Since founding SpaceX in 2002, Musk has aimed to reduce the cost of space exploration and make interplanetary colonization feasible. SpaceX plans to use Starship for missions that were once the stuff of science fiction: establishing human colonies on Mars and creating a sustainable presence on the moon. NASA has already selected the spacecraft to land astronauts on the lunar surface as early as 2026 according to CNN.

America is dreaming big again.

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