A small number of South Texas residents voted to turn Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch base into an official city called ‘Starbase.’
A formal vote on Saturday was organized and approved by a lopsided margin among a small electorate made up mainly of SpaceX employees who live inside the fenced complex.
Starbase is the production and launch site for the SpaceX heavy‑lift rocket program, which is now under contract with the Department of Defense and NASA. The program plans to put astronauts back on the moon and, one day, on Mars.
Musk first proposed the city in 2021, and with only 283 eligible voters, most of whom were on the company payroll, approval had been widely expected.
The vote is also a personal win for Musk, whose public standing has dipped after becoming the chainsaw‑wielding face of former president Donald Trump’s push for federal cuts. At the same time, Tesla’s profits have fallen.
Critics are worried that Starbase may limit access to nearby parks and beaches
Local elected leaders have largely applauded SpaceX for the jobs and investment it has brought to the area.
Yet critics argue that turning the launch base into an official company town will expand Musk’s control, possibly giving him the power to close a popular public beach and nearby state park whenever rockets roll.
Similar efforts in the city are trying to hand that beach‑closure authority from Cameron County to the new town’s mayor and city council through the Texas Legislature.
The legislative push comes as SpaceX asks federal regulators to increase its permitted launches on the South Texas coast from five to 25 a year.
The future city, in the southern part of Texas near Mexico’s border, covers only about 1.5 square miles. It has a few roads, Airstream trailers, and modest mid‑century houses.
SpaceX executives have said little in public about why they want a separate city and have not answered emailed questions for comment.
In a 2024 letter requesting the election, Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders told local officials the company already maintains roads and utilities and provides schooling and medical care for residents on the property.
Company lobbyists have told lawmakers that beach‑closure power would streamline launch operations; every rocket launch, engine test, or heavy equipment move requires closure of a local highway along with Boca Chica State Park and Boca Chica Beach.
Opponents counter that such authority should remain with Cameron County commissioners, who answer to a broader public that fishes, swims, and camps there. County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. says the current system works and needs no change.
Another proposed measure would make ignoring an evacuation order a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail.
On Saturday, the South Texas Environmental Justice Network held a fresh protest in the area, drawing several dozen demonstrators.
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