Donald Trump is expected to join Elon Musk in Texas to view the test flight. Zuffa LLC The Starship system is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, saving SpaceX significantly on cost and resources. This would aid the company in reaching its ultimate goal of pioneering travel to the moon and Mars. Who will be at the launch? President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk are reportedly going to attend the launch together, joined by family and local politicians, including Donald Trump Jr. and US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). Trump previously touted the success of SpaceX’s last test flight, which saw the first successful “catch” of the Super Heavy booster. The rocket is expected to fly in suborbital space for one hour before crashing down in the Indian Ocean. AP Musk’s appointment to co-lead a Department of Government Efficiency could potentially impact SpaceX’s embattled relationship with the Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Aviation Administration, the latter of which Musk threatened to sue for “regulatory overreach.” What’s different about this test flight? While today’s test launch is expected to be similar to last month’s, SpaceX will be testing Starships ability to restart one of its engines in the upper-stage, a key step to returning the ship from orbit for reusability. SpaceX is also looking to test new thermal tiles on the surface of the rocket to protect it during re-entry. Musk also hopes that changes to the Super Heavy booster will allow for a softer landing after October’s catch resulted in burn damage as it hung in the air for longer than expected before being caught by the mechanical arms. And unlike previous tests, today’s launch is scheduled so that it will be daylight in the Indian Ocean to provide observers a better glimpse at Starship’s re-entry. “There are thousands of small design changes also being tested,” Musk said of the upcoming flight. With Post wires