Elon Musk lands in Hawthorne the week of SpaceX's Starship static fire test

Elon Musk flew from Napa County Airport to Hawthorne Municipal Airport on June 1, 2026, a 56-minute hop in the Gulfstream G450 N450GG that touched down just after 3:23 a.m. local time. The flight arrived at Jack Northrop Field, the airport adjacent to SpaceX's headquarters and factory in Hawthorne, California.

The same week, SpaceX is preparing for a static fire test of the Starship upper stage at its McGregor, Texas, facility, per a company update posted on X this week. While the test is in Texas, the Hawthorne campus serves as the nerve center for Starship engineering and launch operations, making Elon Musk's presence there routine ahead of major milestones. The flight follows a pattern of short hops between Northern California and the Los Angeles area; in the preceding days, Elon Musk flew from Hawthorne to San Jose and from San Jose to Paine Field near Seattle, suggesting a business swing through the West Coast.

The G450 is the oldest active jet in Elon Musk's Falcon Landing fleet, and this trip fits his habit of shuttling between SpaceX facilities and tech meetings in the Bay Area. No public events or court appearances are scheduled in Hawthorne this week, but the static fire window keeps the company's founder close to the decision loop.