“Welcome to Texas, Bapak President,” I greeted him, behind my mask. “Thank you, Pak Konjen. Nice to meet you again,” he said as he slowly proceeded to the Secret Service SUVs. Back in 2017 I had introduced him to Australia’s Northern Territory chief minister to talk about cattle cooperation, and since 2018, I have served as his interpreter during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summits.

It took seven cars 30 minutes to arrive at Boca Chica beach, where SpaceX starbase is located, housing the rocket-production facility and the planned launch site. It is also only 5 miles away from Mexico, with regular custom and border patrols. Starbase is filled with proprietary technology where the United States International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) conditions apply. Security is intense inside and around Starbase.

Arriving at Stargate building, Elon Musk awaited Jokowi, wearing jeans and a SpaceX Earth T-shirt (also worn by many workers on the compound). “Welcome to Starbase.” Jokowi wore his rolled up white shirt and Bandung shoes, as if he was conducting his typical blusukan (impromptu visit) to meet with people.

The meeting between the two had been planned a while back. Since their phone chat on Dec. 11, 2020, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan later organized a meeting with Elon in Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, Texas. Before I flew out to Houston, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi also supported me to facilitate any such meetings. 

Walking through the dark-lit lobby of Stargate, with prototype rockets hanging from various corners, Jokowi and Musk entered the boardroom for a one-on-one discussion that lasted almost 30 minutes. With the door slightly open, many friendly and promising gestures were evident; lots of laughing, hand movements and drinking from the SpaceX black tumblers, supposedly filled with Martian water, joked the many people present.

Musk then took Jokowi and his entourage on a private tour around Starbase, walking by High Bay/Low Bay, the Nosecone Tent and the Dome Ring Tent. They stopped every few moments to discuss more deeply about rockets, production or even planetary travel, under the towering rockets or in between tents.