Special elections were established in Cameron County, Texas officially Elon Musk ‘Spacex Facility as “StarBase”, a new city, with voters who agreed to an overwhelming majority on the founding scale with a margin from 173 to 4 (only 143 votes were needed to pass the procedure), according to election records.
The vote represents an important milestone for SpacexThe presence in southern Texas and realizes Seeing Musk 2021 To establish a municipality centered on the missile launch facility.
Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
Why do it matter
Starbase is the site of the establishment and operation of the Rocket Spacex program that contracts with the Ministry of Defense (DOD) and Nassa This aims to return astronauts to the moon and perhaps to Mars.
The establishment of the company’s city is a great victory for Musk and Spacex at a time Technological billionaire faced increasing criticism. As a leader of the president Donald TrumpMinistry of Governmental efficiency (DodgeMUSK supervised many controversial federal job cuts that reduced his general position. Meanwhile, profits in his electric car company, Tesla, according to what was reported.
Establishment can mainly change the dynamics of local power by giving SPACEX significant control of governance issues that directly affect its operations. It is worth noting that the situation of the new city may allow Starbase officials and SPACEX employees themselves, to agree to close the beach and the garden during the launch of the missiles instead of authorizing the Cameron Province authorities.
Rocket Spacex and engine tests, as well as specific equipment around the launch base, require a local highway and access to Boca Chica State Park and Boca Chica Beach. This comes at a time when Spacex requires federal approval to increase the annual launch operations on the site from five to 25.
Starbase, Texas
It is now a real city!
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 4, 2025
What do you know
Starbase includes about 1.5 square miles at the southern end of Texas along the coast near the Mexican border.
The population who votes is only 283 qualified voters, and it is believed that most of them are Spacex employees or the company connected to the company.
The elections also chose Bobby Biden as the first mayor in the city, along with Jordan Bosz and Jenna Petzelka as the city, and all the SPACEX employees who ran without opposition, according to reports NBC news.
According to the general manager of Starbase Kathryn LUEDERS, the company already runs the methods, facilities, education and medical care for residents of the property.
The bills accompanying the Legislative Commission in Texas will transform the authority to close the beach from the boycott to the new city government, with a proposed bill that makes it a misdemeanor of category B, which is punishable by 180 days in prison, for its failure to comply with the orders of the evacuation of the beach.
What people say
Elon Musk, CEO of Spacex, celebrated the results of the elections on Saturday night on X, Twitter previously, writing: “Starbase, Texas is now a real city!”
Graza, Cameron County Elections Officer: “It is an official statistically impossible for the procedure to fail. Cameron’s province is about to have a new city.”
Catherine Lubs, General Manager of Starbise, wrote to Texas officials in 2024: “We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community.”
“ “At the present time, the authority lies only in the Cameron and my office province, and we believe that we have proven to be good collaborators and partners with Spacex in their operations and also make sure to make a notice and provide enough Boca Chika beach.”
What happens after that
With the city’s status securing, attention will turn into the process of forming the formal character and potential legislative changes that may affect local governance. Although Spacex has not detailed specific plans for the newly integrated city, the change in the municipal situation can reduce restrictions on missile launch and test.
However, resistance from local environmental groups and community organizations such as the Karizo Kokrodo tribe in Texas, the Environmental Justice Network in South Texas, and United border workers, who organized protests against potential restrictions to reach the public beach.
Reports from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
