President-elect Donald Trump may attend Space X launch in Texas: Here's what we know.
President-elect Donald Trump may attend a SpaceX launch on Tuesday in Texas.
Here's what we know:
FAA issues flight restrictions ahead of potential Trump visit
According to the Associated Press, the Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary flight restrictions over Brownsville and Boca Chica, Texas for a VIP visit coinciding with SpaceX’s scheduled launch of its Starship rocket from its facility on the coast. Flight restrictions around Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida home will be lifted while the Texas security measures are put in place.
Trump appoints Musk to run new 'DOGE' commission
Elon Musk, tech billionaire and SpaceX founder, has been deepening his ties to the president-elect over the past few months. His super PAC donated about $200 million to ensure Trump’s election in November, and Trump recently tapped Musk to run a new Department of Government Efficiency alongside entrepreneur and former presidential-hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy.
Although the exact nature of the role or powers of the Department of Government Efficiency remain unclear, the position could grant Musk some oversight of several agencies that currently have contracts with his companies, such as NASA and SpaceX.
In July, Musk announced he was moving more of his companies — including social media platform X and rocket company SpaceX — to Texas. Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla’s headquarters is already located just outside of Austin, Texas.
Since election day, Musk has spent weeks alongside Trump, attending important meetings with foreign leaders, visiting Washington D.C. to meet with Republicans on Capitol Hill, golfing with his family and joining him to UFC fight in New York City on Saturday.
When does SpaceX's Starship launch on Tuesday?
SpaceX’s launch window opens at 4 p.m. and will last for 30 minutes. The company is hoping to test the landing capture system of the booster in Texas, something SpaceX accomplished in September when the company used mechanical arms to catch the booster at the launch pad.
The Starship is intended to play a role in future NASA moon missions. Since his first term, Trump has said he wants to bring humans back to the moon.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: President-elect Donald Trump may attend Texas SpaceX launch
