Elon Musk Wants SpaceX to Have its own Town in South Texas

Elon Musk wants to incorporate his South Texas Starbase into a town.

Musk’s SpaceX submitted a petition to Brownsville’s Cameron County on Thursday, requesting an election to incorporate the area into the city of Starbase, Texas, the Associated Press reported.

Located near Boca Chica Beach on the southernmost tip of Texas, the proposed city is home to SpaceX’s Starship rocket development and launch operations.

If the measure made it to the ballot, it would have a very good chance of succeeding. Cameron County, which borders Mexico and is majority Hispanic, flipped from Democrat to Republican in the November election, a change largely attributed to Musk’s influence.

“To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” Kathryn Lueders, SpaceX’s general manager of Starbase in a letter. “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.”

Elon Musk hinted at this possibility back in 2021 when he shared his ambition to establish the city of Starbase in a social media post.

“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,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said.

SpaceX employs more than 3,400 full-time staff and contractors at Starbase. Its rapid expansion has sparked excitement and controversy.

A local impact study earlier this year emphasized the economic contributions of the site, though not everyone has welcomed the company’s growth. Environmental group Save RGV sued SpaceX in July, alleging it violated environmental laws.

SpaceX dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous,” citing state reviews that found no significant risks.

If approved, the incorporation of Starbase could redefine South Texas as a center for aerospace innovation. It would also build on Musk’s growing presence in the state.

The California transplant has growing ambitions for Texas. Some of his activity includes relocating X (formerly Twitter) from San Francisco to Austin, citing dissatisfaction with the state’s progressive policies. Neuralink, another Musk venture, has invested in Del Valle, a growing suburb near Austin. In addition to his Tesla and Boring Co. operations, Musk is also working with Lennar Homes on a housing project near Bastrop, dubbed “Project Amazing.”