Starships are meant to fly, but Nicki Minaj will have to wait a bit longer for takeoff.
The Grammy-nominated rapper, 43, attended SpaceX’s flight test for the Starship spacecraft in Texas on Thursday, May 21. However, the flight was later postponed due to technical issues.
Seven months have elapsed since billionaire Elon Musk‘s commercial spaceflight company last launched the world’s largest rocket from South Texas. Since that October test flight, SpaceX teams have been working to prepare a next-generation version of Starship for its highly-anticipated debut.
The new Starship prototype model, known as Version 3, is designed to travel and refuel in orbit, enabling long spaceflights to distant destinations like the moon and Mars.
Minaj was ready to mark the occasion, attending the launch in a black graphic T-shirt that read “Starship,” according to event footage shared on social media. The rapper, who was present approximately six minutes before the scheduled launch time, gushed about her excitement in a brief interview with some of SpaceX’s on-site crew.
“I’ve launched,” Minaj joked, later adding, “This is historic. This is a major moment, y’all.”
The “Starships” emcee also praised SpaceX founder Musk during her remarks: “Major shout-out to Elon. Thank you for everything that you’re doing for humanity.”
Unfortunately for Minaj, SpaceX later scrapped its Starship flight test, due to what Musk described in an X post as an issue with a faulty “hydraulic pin,” which was “holding the tower arm in place.” Another launch attempt is scheduled for Friday, May 22, at 6:30 p.m. ET.
SpaceX launch trouble: Elon Musk company scrubs Starship V3 launch
Minaj has also been a cheerleader for Musk’s former political colleague, President Donald Trump.
The outspoken rapper has found herself in the political spotlight in recent months due to her vocal allyship with the president. In January, Minaj attended the Trump Accounts Summit, touting herself as “probably the president’s No. 1 fan.” That same month, she attended a screening of first lady Melania Trump‘s documentary, “Melania,” at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Center.
Minaj opened up about her support of President Trump in an interview with Time magazine published Wednesday, May 13.
Nicki Minaj news: Rapper says ‘many celebrities feel the way I do’ about Trump
“Many celebrities feel the way I do, but they don’t say it,” Minaj told the magazine. “Sometimes, you just need one brave person to get the brunt of the impact. I think I am the catalyst for that change.”
She added: “Hopefully, when they see me and hear me speak and feel my energy, that will make them say, ‘You know what: Who am I afraid of? What am I afraid of?'”
Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nicki Minaj praises Elon Musk at SpaceX launch