Boca Chica, Texas - SpaceX was poised for its next test flight of its Starship mega-rocket on Tuesday, with US President-elect Donald Trump joining his close ally Elon Musk in Texas to witness the spectacle firsthand.

It comes just over a month after the company first pulled off the technical tour de force that underscored its position as the world leader in reusable rocketry.

"It was a beautiful thing to see," Trump declared in his election night victory speech, dramatically recounting the feat.

Sporting a red MAGA hat, Trump greeted Musk warmly on Tuesday afternoon as the pair headed off to view the launch from the control room. A 30-minute launch window opens at 4:00 PM local time (2200 GMT) from the company's Starbase in Boca Chica.

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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been a constant presence at Trump's side since the Republican's election victory, joining him at meetings with Argentina's President Javier Milei and even at a UFC fight.

Trump's decision to travel to Musk's home turf is the latest sign of the burgeoning bond between the billionaire duo, which has raised questions over possible conflicts of interest given SpaceX's lucrative contracts with NASA and the Pentagon.

SpaceX will be looking to prove the first catch wasn't a fluke, after Musk revealed – indirectly, through audio shared on X of a discussion with engineers days later – that the Super Heavy booster had come perilously close to crashing.

Tuesday's launch will mark the fastest turnaround between test flights for the world's most powerful rocket, a gleaming stainless steel colossus central to Musk's vision of colonizing Mars and making humanity a multi-planetary species.