Donald Trump is expected to attend the launch of the Starship mega rocket in Texas on Tuesday, a new example of his proximity to billionaire Elon Muskreported several US media outlets on Monday November 18. According to the latter, the President-elect of the United States plans to attend this sixth test of Starship, whose first stage SpaceX will once again attempt to catch using mechanical arms.

SpaceX is owned by Elon Musk, the richest man on the planet, who played a key role in the Republican billionaire’s campaign, spending tens of millions of dollars on his behalf. Since Donald Trump’s election victory, the man who is also boss of social network X and car manufacturer Tesla has remained omnipresent at his side, advising him.

He was propelled by the president-elect to head a commission charged with fighting bureaucracy and slash public spending. This influence the question of conflicts of interest Elon Musk has regularly complained about the slowness of the FAA to authorize Starship take-offs, and his company benefits from major contracts with NASA.

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Like “in a movie”

Temporary flight restrictions to allow VIP travel are planned for Tuesday around Brownsville, Texas, during the launch window, which opens at 16:00 local time (22:00 GMT). At the same time, the usual flight restrictions over Donald Trump’s residence in West Palm Beach, Florida, will be lifted.

In October, SpaceX succeeded in catching the Starship first stage using mechanical arms. The company must now demonstrate that this was no fluke, but a decisive step towards the reuse of this heavy launcher after each flight. This feat drew the admiration of Donald Trump, who in his victory speech on the evening of the presidential election said he had watched the flight and believed himself to be the first President of the United States. “in a movie”..