Musk gets his Texas wish. SpaceX's starting site has been approved as a new city of Starbase
South -Texas Home Elon Musk SpaceX Rocket Company is now an official city with a galactic name: Starbase.
The official organization of Starbas into the city approved with a unilateral margin among the small voters living there and are mostly spacex employees. With all the votes, according to the results of the Cameron County Election Department, 212 against 6 were published on the web.
Musk celebrated on his social platform in the X post, saying it is “now a real city!”
Starbase is a SpaceX rocket program facility and a starting place, which is under a contract with the Contracting Department and NASA, which hopes to send astronauts back to the moon and once to Mars.
First, Musk floated the idea of Starbas in 2021 and the new city was approved. Of the 283 eligible voters in the area, most of the Starbase employees are believed.
The election victory was personal for Musk. BillionairePopularity has decreasedAs he becamechain stepspublic facePresident Donald Trump'sfederal work andexpenditureand the profit at his Tesla car company isfallenTo.
SpaceX is generally widely supported by local officials for their jobs and investments in the area.
However, the creation of an official company city has also drawn critics who are concerned, expand Musk's personal control over the area, with potential authority to close the popular beach and state park for marketing.
The companions of the city vote cover the laws of the state legislator from the county of that institution to a new mayor and city council.
All of these measures come when SpaceX asks the federal power to increase the number of lunches of the South Texas from five to 25 per year.
The city near the Mexican border at the southern tip of Texas is only about 1.5 square mile (3.9 square kilometers), baptized by some roads and tended to airflow trailers and modest average homes.
SpaceX officials have said exactly why they want a company city and did not respond to commentary applications sent by e -mail.
“We need the opportunity to grow Starbas as a community,” Kathryn Lueders, Director General of Starbase, wrote to local officials in 2024 that he would have a request for a city problem with ballot.
The letter stated that the company was already managing roads and utilities, as well as for people living on the property.
SpaceX officials have told legislators that the closure of the city government to close the beach is smooth start -up operations. The SpaceX missile triggers and motor tests, and even just the movement of certain devices around the starting base requires the closure of the local road and access to the Boca Chica Nature Park and Boca Chica Beach.
According to critics, the Beach Closion Board should remain with the county government, which represents a wider population using the beach and the park. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr. Has said that the county has worked well with SpaceX and no changes are needed.
Another proposed bill would make this Class B misdemeanor up to 180 -day imprisonment if no one complies with the organization of the beach evacuation.
The South -Texas environmental law network, which has protected protests against the issue of city voting and beach access, organized another demonstration that attracted dozens of people.
Josette Hinojosa, whose young daughter built Sandcastle nearby, said she took part to try to ensure the continued access to the beach that her family has enjoyed for generations.
With SpaceX, Hinojosa said: “Some days it is closed and some days will be turned away from you,”
Christopher Basaldú, a member of the Texas tribe Carrizo/ComeCrudo, said his ancestors have long been in an area where Rio Grande meets the Gulf.
“It's just not important,” he said, “it's holy.”
This story was originally reflected on Fortune.com
