Myotherbardenver

Elon Musk has baffled the world once more, this time by appearing to use an expensive bit of SpaceX kit as a snack holder. 

But it was the serving of snacks that really grabbed people’s attention, with many fans convinced the pile of pastries were served on a piece of a Starship rocket’s heat shield.

Unless you’re versed in the world of spacecraft, you probably wouldn’t think twice about the shiny black platter. 

A number of eagle-eyed fans were on hand, however, to highlight the resemblance between the serving plate and the hexagonal heat shield tiles that protect the SpaceX vehicle as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.

“Peep the ceramic tile used for starships heat shield being used to hold danish’s @elonmusk,” wrote one commenter on Twitter, while another said, “Can I trade you some Dogecoins for a souvenir starship heat shield tile, to use as a coffee cup coaster?”

A third quipped: “I bet there’s a novelty market for TPS derived bakeware. These tiles probably cost less than a decent set of it too.”

This last statement is obviously an exaggeration for comedic effect – while Musk promises to keep the costs of his SpaceX aircraft to a minimum, they still cost tens of millions to launch. 

“I think we need to get a large delivery to the surface of Mars, and then people will start thinking harder about it,” said Gwynne Shotwell in a recent interview with CNBC.

“I think within five or six years, people will see that that will be a real place to go.”

Shotwell’s statement echoes those made by Musk, who has repeatedly spoken out about his desire to colonise the Red Planet.