SpaceX flew its latest test flight of its Starship megarocket on Tuesday, with President-elect Donald Trump joining Elon Musk to witness the spectacle firsthand in the latest sign of their ever closer ties. 

But the Republican leader was deprived of the chance to see the descending first stage caught in the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms, an engineering marvel demonstrated by the company last month and one he personally lauded during his election victory speech.

Instead, the massive Super Heavy booster made a more subdued splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

Company representatives cited unmet technical criteria, dampening the triumph of an event attended by an array of Trump-world figures.

Space X founder and CEO Musk has been a constant presence at Trump’s side since the incoming president’s election victory, joining him at a meeting with Argentina’s President Javier Milei and even at a UFC bout.