SpaceX's Starbase: Elon Musk’s Vision of a Company Town Becomes Reality in Texas
SpaceX employees near Boca Chica Beach vote overwhelmingly to establishStarbase, giving Elon Musk’s company more control in Texas.
In a move that brings Elon Musk’s vision closer to reality, a small communitynear SpaceX’s Texas launch site has voted to incorporate as a city called Starbase.The initiative, supported largely by SpaceX employees, passed overwhelminglywith a 212–6 vote, as reported by The Associated Press.
Locatedin Cameron County on the Gulf of Mexico, near the company’s Boca Chica Beachlaunch facility, the town’s incorporation stems from a petition that gatheredenough support to force a vote. According to The Texas Tribune, only 283people were eligible to vote, and an analysis by The Texas Newsroomfound that roughly 60% of them work for SpaceX. The new city will be governedby a trio of leaders, all of whom have ties to the aerospace company.
Elon Muskinitially floated the idea of building a city named Starbase back in 2021. Evenbefore the final vote was announced, Musk posted on X, declaring, “Starbase isnow officially a city.”
With thismeasure approved, SpaceX could gain more control over how the launch siteoperates. Currently, the company needs approval from Cameron County to closeBoca Chica Beach during launches. However, Texas Senate Bill 2188 might shiftthat authority. While the bill doesn’t explicitly mention Starbase—since itwasn’t incorporated at the time of writing—it does grant decision-making powerto municipalities that host spaceports and are located along the Gulf ofMexico.
Meanwhile,at the federal level, SpaceX seems to be facing fewer restrictions. Musk’sallies during President Donald Trump’s administration reportedly worked toreduce the regulatory power of agencies like the Environmental ProtectionAgency and the Federal Aviation Administration—both of which oversee activitiesSpaceX is subject to.
