At SpaceX’s Starbase on January 12, 2026, Elon Musk used “make Star Trek real” to describe a future of crewed spaceships traveling to the Moon, other planets and eventually other star systems. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the slogan. Physicist and science communicator Chanda Prescod-Weinstein argues that this emphasis on ships and destinations misses the franchise’s wider social and political imagination. That is a cultural critique, not a definitive ruling on what Star Trek must mean.
What Musk meant by “make Star Trek real”
In remarks at SpaceX’s Starbase, Musk said, “It’s like we want to make Star Trek real, ok?” He followed with, “We want to make Starfleet Academy — Real,” then described spaceships carrying people to other planets, the Moon and, eventually, other star systems. Hegseth replied, “Star Trek, real.” The event transcript is dated January 12, 2026. U.S. Department of War transcript
In this exchange, the concrete meaning is spaceflight: building crewed ships and extending human travel beyond Earth. Hegseth echoed Musk’s phrase, but the transcript does not show him offering a detailed account of the series’ themes.
Why a critic says that framing misses Star Trek’s lessons
In a New Scientist commentary, physicist and science communicator Chanda Prescod-Weinstein argues that Musk and Hegseth misconstrue the heart of Star Trek. Her criticism contrasts their focus on spacecraft and destinations with the franchise’s capacity to explore social and political questions: how societies organize themselves, who shares in progress and what responsibilities accompany power and exploration. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, New Scientist
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That is an interpretation of the remarks and the franchise, not an official definition of Star Trek or proof of what either speaker privately thinks. The transcript establishes what they said about space travel; it does not establish their broader understanding of the show. Star Trek has multiple series and competing readings, so the disagreement is best understood as a contrast between a technological aspiration and a critic’s emphasis on the franchise’s social imagination.
Musk’s Starfleet analogy predates the Starbase event
Musk also invoked Starfleet at the Air Warfare Symposium on February 28, 2020. He said “we can make, go a long way towards making Starfleet real and making these sort of utopian or semi, semi utopian futures real.” In those remarks, he connected the analogy with radical innovation, reusable launch systems, U.S. technological leadership and competition, while also discussing autonomous drone warfare. Transcript of Musk at the Air Warfare Symposium
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The earlier remarks show that Starfleet has served as an aspiration in Musk’s discussions of spaceflight and innovation. They do not show that he endorses every social or political theme explored across the franchise.
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What the remarks establish—and what they do not
- Established: Musk described crewed ships and journeys to the Moon, other planets and eventually other star systems; Hegseth echoed the “Star Trek, real” phrase.
- Interpretation: Prescod-Weinstein argues that this emphasis leaves out wider social and political dimensions of Star Trek.
- Not established: The transcript does not reveal either man’s private viewing habits, intentions or complete understanding of the franchise.
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