Greg Autry, associate provost for space commercialization and strategy at the University of Central Florida, noted the cautious approach taken during the booster’s sea landing.
He speculated that the decision may have been influenced by the high-profile audience, including Trump and Musk.
Autry is a rumored candidate for Trump’s NASA administrator pick.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign issued a statement saying that, “President-Elect Trump is making decisions on who will serve in his second Administration. Those decisions will continue to be announced by him when they are made.”
FAA Approval
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that SpaceX met all safety and licensing requirements for the test flight.
The agency stated, “The changes requested by SpaceX for (Tuesday’s test flight) are within the scope of what has been previously analyzed.”
Looking ahead, SpaceX aims to further refine its systems, enabling rapid reuse of its rockets and achieving the ultimate goal of cost-effective space travel for cargo and humans.
