--- title: "Elon Musk Says It’s a “Total Coincidence” That Starship Stack Spells “420”" description: "The Weed Number SpaceX’s spacecraft prototype Ship 20 and Booster 4 have finally been stacked on top of each other to form a gigantic stainless steel skyscraper of rocket engines and fuel. The event sets the stage for the space company’s first orbital test flight. And if you’re paying particularly close attention, those two numbers […]" date: "2021-08-06" modified: "2021-08-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-coincidence-starship-stack-420" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "spacex. starship" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Says It’s a “Total Coincidence” That Starship Stack Spells “420” ![%%excerpt%%]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Weed Whacker SpaceX's Super Heavy Booster 4 and Starship prototype Ship 20 and have finally been [stacked on top of each other]() to form a gigantic stainless steel skyscraper of rocket engines and fuel, setting the stage for the space company's first orbital test flight. And if you're paying particularly close attention, those two numbers — when put together as "420," a [number significant to marijuana enthusiasts]() — are of peculiar significance to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Musk infamously declared his love for the number when he joked ([but not really]()) that he'd take Tesla private at a share price of $420 on Twitter back in 2018. The plan quickly backfired, resulting in a [Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit]() and millions in fines. And, of course, that's without getting into the time that he [smoked weed on a podcast](). ## Total Coincidence But now Musk is claiming that Booster 4 and Ship 20 form the weed number wasn't actually part of the plan — despite his [penchant for silly jokes](). "Total coincidence!" [he responded]() to Twitter user and SpaceX fan Austin Barnard, who [made the initial connection](). "Also, booster height was originally 70m, but we eliminated a half barrel for manufacturing efficiency, so now it’s…" That ellipsis is almost certainly meant to highlight that the booster's height is now 69 meters — another naughty number, this one [with sexual connotations](), which Musk has [also referenced in the past](). **More on the rocket:** *[SpaceX Just Mounted Starship on Top of the Super Heavy Booster and Holy Shit]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()