McALLEN, Texas — SpaceX is embarking on an ambitious initiative to transform its Starbase facility into an official city within Texas.
This move comes as the company, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, submitted a letter to local government officials on Thursday, formally requesting an election that would facilitate the incorporation of what it designates as “Starbase.” This site, situated at Boca Chica Beach in the southernmost part of Texas close to the Mexican border, is where SpaceX develops and launches its large Starship rockets. According to the company, local residents have expressed their support for this proposal by submitting a petition.
Earlier this year, Musk made headlines when he announced the relocation of SpaceX’s headquarters, alongside his social media venture, X, from California to Texas.
Kathryn Lueders, the general manager of Starbase, emphasized in her correspondence with Cameron County officials the necessity of building a community to support the growth of their workforce for the rapid development and production of Starship. She stated, “We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community. That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley.”
This isn’t the first mention of the idea to establish Starbase as an independent city. Musk initially put forth the concept in 2021 through a social media post declaring, “Creating the city of Starbase, Texas.”
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the highest-ranking official in the county, commented that while discussions about incorporation have occurred since 2021, this marks the first official petition being presented for evaluation.
“Our legal and elections administration will review the petition, see whether or not it complied with all of the statutory requirements and then we’ll go from there,” Treviño confirmed.
A local impact study conducted earlier this year revealed that over 3,400 full-time employees and contractors are actively working at the Starbase location.
However, SpaceX’s swift growth in the area has faced opposition from certain community members. In July, a local advocacy group named Save RGV filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of environmental violations and the improper disposal of contaminated water into the adjacent bay. In reply, SpaceX asserted that a state review determined no environmental risks were present and labeled the lawsuit as “frivolous.”
