SpaceX's Starbase Becomes Official City in Texas

Elon Musk's SpaceX has achieved a major milestone with the official incorporation of its Starbase facility in southern Texas as a city. The area surrounding SpaceX’s Starbase launch site voted overwhelmingly on Saturday to incorporate, with 212 votes in favor and only six against, according to the Cameron County Elections Department.

Starbase: A City for SpaceX Employees Following the vote, Musk took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to announce, "Starbase, Texas is now a real city!"

The new city will primarily serve as a home to SpaceX employees, who are believed to be the majority of the residents. Along with the incorporation, the residents elected three SpaceX employees—Bobby Peden, Jordan Buss, and Jenna Petrzelka—to serve as Starbase’s first mayor and two commissioners. They ran unopposed for the positions.

Why SpaceX Wants a City of Its Own Although SpaceX has not publicly detailed all of its reasons for seeking incorporation, several key factors are believed to be at play. The company already manages local roads, utilities, and provides essential services like schooling and medical care to its workforce.

Incorporating the area as a city could also provide SpaceX with greater autonomy, especially when it comes to controlling the nearby Boca Chica beach and state park, which are critical to SpaceX’s rocket launches. The city could have the authority to close the beach and park for SpaceX operations.

Musk’s Move to Texas Musk had previously announced that he was moving SpaceX’s headquarters from El Segundo, California to the Starbase facility in Texas. Musk cited frustration with California’s increasingly difficult business environment, particularly the impact of local laws and safety concerns. He noted that the final straw for him was a California law prohibiting schools from disclosing students’ sexuality or gender identity without consent.

SpaceX’s Vision for Starbase In the aftermath of the election, a newly created X account representing Starbase posted, saying, "Becoming a city will help us continue building the best community possible for the men and women building the future of humanity’s place in space."