Official statements or credible investigative reporting

SpaceX Proposes Starbase, Texas, as New City Amid Environmental Concerns

Dec 13, 2024, 01:40 AM

SpaceX has initiated the process to incorporate its Starbase site in South Texas into an official city. The company, led by Elon Musk, sent a letter to local officials in Cameron County requesting an election to turn Starbase, where SpaceX builds and launches its Starship rockets, into an incorporated city. This move is aimed at facilitating the growth of the workforce necessary for the rapid development and manufacturing of Starship. The petition for incorporation was submitted by residents of the area known as Starbase, located at Boca Chica Beach near the Mexican border. Earlier this year, Musk announced the relocation of SpaceX's headquarters from California to Texas. The incorporation effort follows previous discussions in 2021 when Musk first floated the idea of creating the city of Starbase, Texas. Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. has indicated that the legal and elections administration will review the petition for compliance with statutory requirements. More than 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors work at the Starbase site. SpaceX's rapid expansion in the region has drawn pushback from some locals, including a lawsuit filed by a group called Save RGV over allegations of environmental violations.