Starbase Officially Declared a City
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, recently shared a post featuring the phrase “How it started and how it went” after Starbase was officially recognized as a city. The post, originally by a Tesla owner from Silicon Valley and then shared by Musk, included two images. One of them depicted the inauguration ceremony, showcasing Musk and others shoveling sand to establish a fully operational Starbase office.
“Starbase started with one shovel,” Musk stated on X.
This milestone follows a significant measure where 97.7% of voters supported transforming SpaceX’s South Texas launch site into an official municipality. Previously, Musk had shared an image representing Starbase X as a city.
Originally launched in 2019, Starbase has morphed into a crucial facility for SpaceX’s operations—this includes contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense, aiming to ultimately return astronauts to the moon and, ideally, to Mars.
SpaceX has sought federal approval to increase annual launch requests from 5 to 25. The newly established Starbase extends about 2.5 square kilometers along the Gulf Coast.
The concept of Starbase as a city was proposed by Musk in 2021, with 283 eligible voters participating in the election. Most of those voters were affiliated with SpaceX, coming from the Boca Chica Bay area near the Mexican border. Cameron County’s unofficial results have confirmed the approval of the measure. The election coordinator, Remi Garza, noted that Musk had registered for the ballot but had not voted during the early voting period.
Approximately 500 people reside in the vicinity, mainly on land owned by SpaceX and its employees. Bobby Peden, SpaceX’s vice president of testing and launches, received unanimous support to become the city’s first mayor, as he was the only candidate.
Kathryn Lueders, SpaceX’s general manager, had previously advocated for Starbase’s city status, emphasizing that the site already provided essential services such as roads, schools, and medical care. In a 2024 letter, she expressed the need for a community that could foster progress: “We need the ability to nurture the stars as a community.”
Despite the successful vote, the move to establish Starbase as a city has raised concerns. Critics worry that Musk may gain too much authority, especially regarding access to beaches near Boca Chica State Park. SpaceX desires the ability to close the beach during rocket launches, a power currently held by the county. State lawmakers are considering a bill that could shift this authority to the new city authorities.
Additionally, environmental and Indigenous groups have voiced objections, with protesters from the South Texas Environmental Justice Network expressing their concerns on Saturday.
Alongside the vote, the new legislation suggests introducing fines and prison sentences for anyone who refuses to evacuate during closures.
