Starbase, Texas: SpaceX City Nearly Official After Landslide Vote

SpaceX wants a company town, and the firm may get it after a vote among residents is certified, expected in mid-May.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, May 07, 2025 at 06:30 AM ET

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Jack Daleo

Starbase is home to launch facilities for SpaceX’s gargantuan Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

Starbase, Texas, the site of SpaceX's Starship launch facility, has officially incorporated as a city following an overwhelming vote by local residents, many of whom are SpaceX employees.
The newly formed Type C city gains municipal powers, with its first officials largely affiliated with SpaceX, aligning with the company's plans to significantly increase Starship launch activities.
The incorporation and SpaceX's expansion efforts face opposition from environmental groups concerned about public beach access, potential habitat damage, and past pollution incidents at the site.

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“Starbase, Texas is now a real city!” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote Saturday in celebration of his company’s latest victory.

Residents of an unincorporated area in southern Texas voted overwhelmingly Saturday to transform SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility and surrounding area into an official city. The vote passed with 212 in favor and only six against, creating a new municipality that will serve as the launch site for SpaceX’s Starship—the largest and most powerful rocket ever flown.