The rocket did not launch. Nicki Minaj still made it a moment.
On May 21, the rapper appeared at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, during a planned livestream for the Starship V3 test flight. She was featured on the broadcast, where she described the event as historic and encouraged her fanbase, known as the Barbz, to follow along with SpaceX’s work. She also offered public praise to Elon Musk, thanking him for what she called his contributions to humanity.
Minaj arrived in a graphic tee printed with ‘Starship,’ a nod to her 2012 hit ‘Starships,’ from her sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. The coincidence was not lost on anyone online.
The launch that did not happen
SpaceX had been preparing for a significant test flight of the Starship V3, the latest generation of the company’s heavy-lift spacecraft. The vehicle is central to SpaceX’s plans for satellite deployment, NASA’s Artemis lunar program and eventual crewed missions to Mars.
The launch was called off during the final countdown due to a technical issue that engineers could not resolve in time. A SpaceX commentator acknowledged during the broadcast that the company was still working through the learning curve of a new rocket and a new launchpad, and that another attempt would likely follow within 24 hours.
The mission was rescheduled for the following day, May 22, and Minaj congratulated the company on X after the launch was completed.
Even did a lil video for the Barbz. #Starbase #Starships pic.twitter.com/E7xlW5l2Kf
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) May 22, 2026
Minaj and Musk
Minaj’s appearance fits into a broader public alignment with Musk and conservative politics that she has been open about since late 2025. She has expressed support for the Trump administration, spoken critically of California Governor Gavin Newsom and connected publicly with conservative figures including Florida congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.
In a recent interview with Time magazine, Minaj described her political shift in part as a response to a series of swatting attacks she experienced in April 2025. She said she reached out to elected officials for help and received no response until Luna stepped in. The experience, she told the magazine, changed how openly she was willing to speak about her political views.
Musk was formerly head of the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration before stepping back from that role.
A trending moment
The convergence of Minaj’s song title, her outfit and the rocket launch made the appearance one of the most discussed pop culture moments of the week. Fans circulated clips from the broadcast across social media, and the phrase Starships were meant to fly’ cycled through timelines alongside footage of the countdown.
Minaj posted from Starbase on X throughout the day, sharing video of her outfit set to her 2012 collaboration with Justin Bieber, ‘Beauty and a Beat.’
The failed launch did little to dampen the attention the appearance generated. If anything, the scrub gave the internet more time to sit with it.
