[ad_1]
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. There was no news at all last week because nothing happened.
I’m just kidding.
Defying all early polls, Donald Trump has swept the election, and will soon be sworn in for his second term in office. From a space policy perspective, things are already starting to look up Interesting. This is mostly due to the prominent role SpaceX CEO Elon Musk played in the run-up to the election, and the role he could play in the next administration.
There have already been some great reports from the New York Times about their relationship; I will point out This storyWhich describes how Musk joined a call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and thisSources say Musk wanted Trump to appoint SpaceX employees to senior government positions, including the Department of Defense.
If Musk can secure a fraction of the influence he’s talked about in recent weeks — such as heading the government’s Ministry of Efficiency — we could see the head of the largest space company, the largest electric car manufacturer, and one of the largest space companies. Social media platforms are gaining influence that is yet unheard of.
Do you want to contact Advice? Email Arya at aria.techcrunch@gmail.com Or send a message on Signal to 512-937-3988. You can also send a note to the TechCrunch staff at tips@techcrunch.com. For more secure connectionsClick here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop instructions and links to encrypted messaging apps.
Senior correspondent Rebecca Bellan and I looked into what a Trump presidency might mean for Elon Musk. Bellan covers all things transportation, so she took a close look at Tesla’s prospects, and focused my attention on the implications for space policy. We’ve tried hard not to speculate too much – at this point, it’s very easy to get carried away with fantasy, and there are so many unknowns – but there is still a lot of information to go on.
Speaking of SpaceX, the company is preparing to launch the sixth integrated flight test of the Starship vehicle on November 18. Many of the test objectives are the same as the fifth test, which saw the Super Heavy booster return to the launch site for the first time. Not at all, but SpaceX said it will test some hardware and software upgrades.
And with Musk getting the next president’s attention, Mars is on everyone’s mind in a new way. It’s entirely possible that SpaceX could actually launch an unmanned spacecraft to Mars when the next transit window between Earth and Mars opens in 2026. But this week, we’re looking back at a tiny spacecraft that made history as the first human-made object. Orbiting the Red Planet: Mariner 9, which entered Mars orbit on November 13, 1971.
When the probe arrived, a massive dust storm was obscuring most of the planet’s features. Things calmed down, and Mariner 9 was able to take a number of stunning images during its ten months orbiting the planet. Much of what he saw completely shocked scientists.
[ad_2]