Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, is expected Tuesday in Brownsville, Texas, to attend the sixth test of Starship, the megarocket developed by SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk.
The visit comes as SpaceX will once again attempt to recover the first stage of Starship using mechanical arms, a successful maneuver in October but which must still be confirmed to demonstrate the reusability of this heavy launcher.
Donald Trump impressed by SpaceX
Flight restrictions will be in place around the launch area during the window scheduled from 4 p.m. local (11 p.m. in Paris), while those surrounding Donald Trump's residence in Florida will be temporarily lifted.
In October, SpaceX's success impressed Donald Trump, who compared the show to “a movie” in his victory speech. His presence at Tuesday's launch marks another example of his public support for Elon Musk and the private space industry.
A special relationship between Trump and Musk
This trip once again underlines the close ties between the two men, Elon Musk having played an important role in Donald Trump's electoral campaign by financing it to the tune of several tens of millions of dollars.
And since his victory, Donald Trump has increased collaborations with Elon Musk, appointing him to head a commission intended to reduce bureaucracy and public spending. But this proximity raises questions about possible conflicts of interest, in particular because of SpaceX's major contracts with NASA and past tensions between Elon Musk and the FAA, the agency regulating space flight.
