Musk Gifts PM Modi Heatshield Tile From SpaceX's Starship Test Flight

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, at the Blair House in Washington. Along with his girlfriend Shivon Zilis and three children, Mr Musk presented Prime Minister Modi with a gift that garnered significant attention.

The entrepreneur, who oversaw the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), gave PM Modi what looks to be a heatshield tile that was launched on SpaceX's Enterprise test flight 5 in October of last year. Engraved on the artefact was the following: "Starship Flight Test 5. October 13, 2024."

According to the story, the hexagonal ceramic heatshield tiles on SpaceX's Starship are intended to shield the spaceship from the intense heat it will experience during atmospheric re-entry on its journey down to Earth.

Last October, SpaceX launched its Starship spacecraft from South Texas. The successful capture of the Super Heavy booster at the launch site, which represents a major advancement in aerospace technology, makes this mission especially noteworthy. The Great RK Narayan Collection, Pandit Vishnu Sharma's Panchatantra, and Nobel winner Rabindranath Tagore's "The Crescent Moon" were the three Indian classics that PM Modi then gave to Musk's descendants.

Musk's kids were seen reading these books in pictures that the prime minister posted. 

It was also a delight to meet Mr. @elonmusk’s family and to talk about a wide range of subjects! pic.twitter.com/0WTEqBaVpT

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2025

"Had a very good meeting with Elon Musk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. I talked about India's efforts towards reform and furthering 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.", the PM wrote in a post on X.

Had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. I talked about India’s efforts towards reform and furthering ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.’ pic.twitter.com/7xNEqnxERZ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2025

"It was also a delight to meet Mr Elon Musk's family and to talk about a wide range of subjects," he added.