Trump accompanies Elon Musk at SpaceX launch of Starship, the largest rocket ever built

SpaceX marked a new breakthrough in space exploration by successfully completing the sixth test of Starship, its towering rocket considered the largest ever built. The achievement was witnessed by the company's CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

The launch was carried out from Starbase, the company's base of operations located in Boca Chica, Texas, near the Mexican border. An hour after takeoff, Starship completed its landing in good condition, despite losing part of the protective covering during the descent.

Prior to the event, Trump praised the relevance of the launch on his social networks and, upon arrival, greeted the future head of his newly created Department of Government Efficiency with a hug. During his visit, the president wore a red cap with the phrase "Make America Great Again" along with the numbers 45 and 47 embroidered, alluding to his two presidential terms.

A change in strategy with the booster

SpaceX followed the same flight path as the previous mission, but implemented adjustments to certain procedures and modified the launch schedule.

Unlike previous tests, SpaceX opted not to attempt to recover the Super Heavy booster, a key part of the rocket, and dropped it in the Gulf of Mexico. In live transmissions, it could be seen how the booster slowly descended until it touched the water, raising a cloud of smoke upon impact. However, the company has not offered official explanations for this decision, marking a significant difference with the test of October 13, when the booster was successfully captured by a system of cranes known as chopsticks.

Highlights of this test included the activation of one of the spacecraft's engines in space, a crucial maneuver for the return from orbit. In addition, experiments were conducted to evaluate the thermal protection of the spacecraft, leaving some areas without the usual thermal plates to study the feasibility of capture systems on future missions.

Vision for the future: the Moon, Mars and beyond

Starship is the cornerstone of Elon Musk's vision to take space exploration to new horizons. If it receives the necessary certifications from NASA, the rocket will be central to the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2026, which will seek to return astronauts to the lunar surface after more than five decades. In addition, SpaceX aims to use Starship to establish colonies on the Moon and Mars, cementing its position as a leader in the private aerospace industry.

Bill Nelson congratulates SpaceX

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson celebrated SpaceX's success on his X account, noting the achievement with Starship's sixth test flight. "Congrats to SpaceX on Starship's sixth test flight. Exciting to see the Raptor engine restart in space—major progress towards orbital flight," Nelson wrote. He further stressed that Starship's success also represents a triumph for the Artemis mission, reaffirming the joint commitment to return humanity to the Moon and establish a long-term vision toward Mars.