Elon Musk’s ‘space relic’ gift to PM Modi sparks buzz online

A photograph circulating online shows the ‘space relic’ inscribed with the words, “Starship Flight Test 5. October 13, 2024.”

The gift is believed to be a heat shield tile from SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which was part of its fifth flight test in October last year.

The gesture has drawn reactions on X (formerly Twitter), a platform owned by Musk. Several users referred to the gift as a ‘space relic,’ with one joking, “When many people are burning with jealousy, you need a heat shield.” Another remarked, “Giving space relics should become mainstream gifting culture now.”

In return, PM Modi gifted Musk and his family a selection of books, including Rabindranath Tagore's The Crescent Moon, The Great RK Narayan Collection, and Pandit Vishnu Sharma's Panchatantra.

Flight Test 5: A Breakthrough for SpaceX

The test marked a milestone for SpaceX, as it successfully caught a 232-foot rocket booster mid-air using ‘Mechazilla,’ a pair of chopstick-like arms—a first in spaceflight history. It also demonstrated the feasibility of reusing and relaunching a rocket within 30 to 60 minutes.

The test concluded with the Starship rocket splashing down in the Indian Ocean after trialing key reusability technologies. SpaceX has been conducting multiple tests in preparation for the world’s first manned mission to Mars, a step Musk envisions as humanity’s path to interplanetary habitation.