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3w ago

SpaceX Employees Vote Overwhelmingly to Establish Starbase as Texas' Newest City

The incorporation transfers local governance, zoning, and permitting to a SpaceX-aligned city council, with environmental and cultural concerns raised by local activists.

US billionaire businessman and pilot Jared Isaacman flies in formation aboard a fighter jet over the SpaceX sign, close to the Starship spacecraft, before his third test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on March 13, 2024. Elon Musk's SpaceX announced it was eyeing March 14 as the earliest date for the next test launch of its giant Starship rocket, with which it hopes to one day colonize Mars. Two previous attempts have ended in spectacular explosions, though the company has adopted a rapid trial-and-error approach in order to accelerate development. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Residents of the Boca Chica area, primarily SpaceX employees, voted 212-6 to incorporate as the City of Starbase, formalizing SpaceX's control over the area.
  • Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice president, was elected unopposed as the city's first mayor, alongside two other SpaceX-affiliated commissioners.
  • The incorporation shifts zoning and permitting authority from Cameron County to the new Starbase city government, streamlining development for SpaceX operations.
  • SpaceX is backing a pending Texas bill that would transfer weekday beach-closure authority from the county to Starbase, sparking concerns over public access and environmental impact.
  • Environmental and indigenous groups, including the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe, continue to protest the potential loss of access to Boca Chica Beach and the ecological effects of SpaceX's expansion.