In another indication of his tight relationship with SpaceX’s billionaire inventor and CEO, Elon Musk, President-elect Donald Trump may be preparing to attend a rocket launch in Texas on Tuesday.
In the kind of procedure that typically comes before a high-profile visit, the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday imposed “Temporary flight restrictions for VIP Movement” over Brownsville, Texas.
During the same period, flight restrictions over Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, oceanfront property will be temporarily removed.
A request for comment regarding the president-elect’s plans was not answered by the Trump transition team.
Trump and Musk, the CEO of Tesla (TSLA.O) and the richest man in the world, have become good friends. Musk established SpaceX in 2002. Musk regularly gives Trump advice and has spent a lot of time at his Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Lago.
Musk was a member of the Trump team that traveled to an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on Saturday from Florida to New York.
Starship, SpaceX’s next-generation rocket system at the heart of Musk’s ambition to transport people and goods to Mars, will make its sixth space test mission with this launch.
Under the Artemis program, NASA intends to employ Starship to land humans on the moon this decade. This endeavor is anticipated to prioritize SpaceX and Musk’s cosmic plans under Trump and involve more Mars missions.
Approximately 10 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX will attempt to capture Starship’s 233-foot (71-meter)-tall first stage “Super Heavy” rocket using enormous arms attached to a launch tower. This innovative reusability approach captivated Trump when SpaceX first attempted it in October.