Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs A Texas county on Wednesday approved an election sought by SpaceX that will allow residents near Elon Musk’s company to decide whether to establish a new city called Starbase.Newsweek has reached out to SpaceX via email Wednesday night for comment.
Visitors arrive at Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas, on October 12, 2024, ahead of the Starship Flight 5 test.
Visitors arrive at Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas, on October 12, 2024, ahead of the Starship Flight 5 test.
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Why It MattersElon Musk, a billionaire ally of President Donald Trump, has steadily expanded his business footprint across Texas, citing the state’s business-friendly policies.Since moving there in 2020, he has relocated or expanded several of his companies. Tesla’s massive 10-million-square-foot Gigafactory, which produces Cybertrucks, opened near Austin in 2022 and now serves as the company’s headquarters.What To Know About StarbaseThe area, located at Boca Chica Beach near the U.S.-Mexico border, sits at the southernmost tip of Texas.SpaceX first broke ground on its Texas launch site in 2014. It has since grown into a hub for the development and testing of Starship, SpaceX’s next-generation spacecraft designed for deep-space missions.Within the proposed city limits, only 10 of the approximately 250 land lots are not owned by the company.According to a local impact study released last year, more than 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors currently work at the Starbase site.In December, more than 70 residents signed a petition requesting the incorporation of Starbase as a municipality. According to copies of the petition obtained by The Associated Press, most signers are SpaceX employees, and the community includes over 100 children.The idea of transforming Starbase into its own city isn’t new. Musk first floated the concept in 2021 with a simple social media post stating, “Creating the city of Starbase, Texas.”Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño confirmed that officials reviewed the petition and determined it met state requirements, allowing the incorporation process to proceed.Kathryn Lueders, general manager of Starbase, has previously stated that incorporating the area as a city would help streamline processes for developing local amenities.However, some environmental advocates have raised concerns about the potential impact of increased development. In December of 2024, community organizations sued Texas, alleging wastewater from SpaceX launchpads was washing into nearby wetlands. Activists behind the suit against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) say that the wastewater contains metal and polluting chemicals used at the South Texas launch site.In September, SpaceX said in a written statement that it uses “literal drinking water” for its launchpad. It also said that testing after water is splashed on the launch site found “negligible traces of any contaminants.”What People Are SayingTreviño said in a statement to the Associated Press: “If the election passes, this will be the newest town in Cameron County since Los Indios in 1995. We look forward to seeing the outcome of this election.”Leuders wrote in a letter to Cameron County in December: “To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community. 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.”What Happens NextThe election is set for May 3, with voting restricted to those living near the SpaceX launch site.Reporting by The Associated Press contributed to this story.
