Elon Musk’s vision has materialised as voters in South Texas approved a ballot measure to establish SpaceX site ‘Starbase’ as an official city.
Photo : AP
Elon Musk’s long-standing dream is now a reality. Voters in South Texas have approved a ballot measure to establish the South Texas home of Musk’s SpaceX rocket company as an official city, and with a fittingly galactic name: Starbase. In a social media post on X, the tech billionaire confirmed the announcement and said that Starbase was now a real city.
The mandate was in favour of establishing Starbase as a city by a margin of 212 to 6, according to results published online by the Cameron County Elections Department. Most of the 283 eligible voters at the ballot are said to be SpaceX employees or those who had connections to the company, AP reported.
The incorporation of Starbase will give SpaceX the authority to set the pace of its own development in the area. It is expected that the new city will be governed by a city commission, comprising current or former SpaceX employees, who will have authority over zoning, building projects, and other aspects of life.
All about Elon Musk’s city: Starbase
Starbase, located at the southern tip of Texas near the Mexico border is only about 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers), crisscrossed by a few roads and dappled with airstream trailers. Over the years, Starbase has served as the facility and launch site for the SpaceX rocket program that is under contract with the US Department of Defence and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Musk first floated the idea of Starbase in 2021. Sharing a throwback picture after the city ballot was won, the tech billionaire remarked that “Starbase started with one shovel”. The space company has generally drawn widespread support from local officials for its jobs and investment in the area.
“We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders wrote to local officials in 2024 with the request to get the city issue on the ballot, AP reported. The letter said the company already manages roads and utilities, as well as “the provisions of schooling and medical care” for those living on the property.
However, the creation of an official company town has also drawn critics who worry that it will expand Musk’s personal control over the area. SpaceX officials have told lawmakers that granting the city authority to close a popular beach for launches would streamline operations.