Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas on Thursday, May 21, 2026, turning heads when she showed up live on the SpaceX webcast ahead of the highly anticipated Starship V3 Flight 12 launch.
Elon Musk welcomed her publicly on X, posting: “Welcome to Starbase, @NICKIMINAJ!” — a moment that instantly went viral.
Welcome to Starbase, @NICKIMINAJ! pic.twitter.com/QhNc3otoXF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 21, 2026
“This Is Historic” — Nicki Minaj Reacts to the SpaceX Starship V3 Launch
Minaj, whose 2012 hit “Starships” has long been an anthem for space enthusiasts, showed up on the observation deck wearing a SpaceX Starship t-shirt. When a host pointed out the shirt, she laughed: “I love this shirt.”
The host asked if Minaj had predicted the future with the song’s name, to which she hilariously replied, “I do not know.”
After being handed a mic, Minaj delivered a memorable moment for the SpaceX crew. “This is historic. This is a major moment, y’all,” she said as the launch window opened and the countdown began. She then gave a direct shoutout: “Major shoutout to Elon. Thank you for everything you’re doing for humanity.”
The excitement peaked when staff informed her only six minutes remained on the clock — but technical issues brought the countdown to a halt before liftoff. SpaceX communications rep Dan Huot explained: “We’re learning about a lot about these systems as we execute them for the first time, and we’re not able to basically troubleshoot all of these issues in those final seconds to get to launch.” He added the team would “figure out what tripped us up before launch, and then actually get into a flight tomorrow.”
A new launch attempt is targeting Friday night.
The A-List Club: Celebrities Who Have Visited SpaceX Starbase
Minaj joins a growing list of notable names who have made the trip to Starbase:
Donald Trump attended the sixth Starship test flight on November 19, 2024, alongside Elon Musk in Brownsville, Texas. Musk personally gave Trump and several VIPs a tour of the mission control room before launch. Bryson DeChambeau was also in attendance for that same November 2024 launch, appearing alongside Trump, Musk, and Sen. Ted Cruz. DeChambeau said of his space ambitions: “I want to do that so badly. I would literally cry for probably a good couple hours. Being up there and looking at the Earth.” Ted Cruz has made multiple visits to Starbase, meeting with SpaceX leadership to discuss the company’s missions and commercial space needs.
What’s Next for SpaceX Starship Flight 12
With the scrub behind them, SpaceX’s team is targeting a Friday night launch window for the Starship V3’s inaugural test flight. Whether Minaj makes the return trip to finally watch the world’s most powerful rocket light up the Texas sky remains to be seen — but her first visit to Starbase is already one for the history books.
