SpaceX is embarking on a mission that transcends mere rocket launches—it’s working towards establishing a new city at its Starbase facility in Texas.
On Thursday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took to X to disclose a letter addressed to Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the elected official of Cameron County, requesting a vote on incorporating Starbase, Texas, as an official city.
“Starbase is home to the development and production of SpaceX’s Starship, a project designed to fundamentally alter humanity’s access to space,” the letter elaborated. “We are investing billions into infrastructure while generating substantial income and tax revenue for local businesses and government, all aimed at transforming South Texas into the Gateway to Mars,” it continued.
To support its argument, SpaceX stated that expanding its workforce to accelerate the development and manufacturing of its next-generation Starship requires “the ability to grow Starbase as a community. This is why we are requesting Cameron County to call for an election that would allow Starbase to become the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley.”
The company further emphasized that creating Starbase City would “simplify the processes needed to develop the amenities essential for making the area a top-tier place to reside—for both the hundreds who already live there and for potential employees eager to contribute to humanity’s future in space.”
Historically, references to Starbase have often included the words “near Boca Chica, Texas.” Establishing it as a city would alter that narrative.
The Associated Press noted that Musk first proposed the idea back in 2021 when he tweeted about “creating the city of Starbase, Texas.” Judge Treviño Jr. remarked that this latest move signifies the first formal petition regarding incorporation.
“Our legal and elections administration will analyze the petition to ensure it meets all statutory requirements, and then we’ll proceed accordingly,” Treviño declared on Thursday.
Despite environmental advocates raising concerns about potential water pollution and habitat disruption around the Starbase area, SpaceX reassured in its letter that city incorporation would have “no negative impact on our commitment to being a science-based steward of the local environment.”
This initiative isn’t without precedent; in 1959, the city of Koromo in Japan rebranded itself to Toyota to reflect the significance of the automaker.
