Elon Musk Returns to SpaceX as Starship Test Flight Looms

STARBASE, Texas — Elon Musk recently returned to his SpaceX facility in South Texas, focusing on the upcoming test flight of Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket. After his historic, yet tumultuous, time in Washington, D.C., Musk stated, “I’m physically here. This is the focus, and especially around launch. Everything comes together at the moment of launch.”

His return comes after a series of challenges and backlash he faced in the nation’s capital, where his attempts to reform federal bureaucracy met strong resistance. Musk attended a Cabinet meeting on March 24 but has decided to step back from U.S. DOGE Service. He remarked, “Its work is not done,” adding that efforts would shift towards improving federal technology systems.

While in Texas, Musk projected a sense of urgency, stating, “You have got to drive hard, and not everyone is cut out for that.” He emphasized the need for relentless drive in order to achieve SpaceX’s ambitious goal of colonizing Mars: “You’re not going to get to Mars in 40 hours a week.”

Musk described the federal bureaucracy’s challenges as greater than he initially anticipated, revealing, “The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized.” He acknowledged that attempts to cut waste often led to DOGE being blamed for problems unrelated to their efforts.

Amidst the political hurdles, Musk lamented the backlash against his companies, including incidents of people vandalizing Teslas. He reassured, “The effort will now be focused on tackling projects with the highest gain for the pain.”

SpaceX has historically delivered numerous successful launches, reinventing the aerospace industry and ensuring NASA‘s access to the International Space Station. Still, the future faces uncertainty as Musk aims for a successful test flight of Starship, crucial for returning humans to the moon and achieving Martian colonization.

“I think the primary goal should be Mars,” Musk stated, while also referencing NASA’s Artemis program. He remains hopeful for a successful upcoming launch, hoping, “things don’t explode.” Musk noted the inherent risks of rocket launches, stressing, “Big rockets don’t explode. Goal. I mean, there’s so much energy in the rocket.”