Elon Musk makes an unexpected visit at SpaceX’s Starship office

Elon Musk was in Florida for the third launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket this week, and he made an unexpected visit to the organization’s Starship campus in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Elon Musk long has touted his goal for humankind to become an interplanetary species, and the organization’s Starship offices are building the prototypes to accomplish it.

Starship was originally called BFR for Big Falcon Rocket. Musk declared the name change last November on Twitter.

Musk was named the beneficiary of the 2019 Stephen Hawking Medal of Science Communication. He had planned to acknowledge the award in person yet was unable to go to because of scheduling clashes. He recorded an acknowledgment discourse, and in the video, a prototype of the second Starship at the Florida office was found in the background.

When finished, the ship is relied upon to be 180 feet tall and 30 feet wide. The organization trusts it will most likely transport people and cargo from Earth to Mars one day.

There are two Starship offices, with the first being situated in Boca Chica, Texas. Both are creating Starship prototypes in an intra-organization rivalry to see which is increasingly powerful.

The Texas plant’s prototype was initially named Starhopper and as of now has some flight experience.

Musk said on Twitter in May, Both sites will make many Starships. This is a competition to see which location is most effective. Answer might be both.”

Musk included: “Any insights gained by one team must be shared with the other, but other team not required to use them.”

The prototypes are required to be powered by three of the organization’s Raptor engines.