Yes, It’s Real. Starbase Is Now an Official City.
Elon Musk has made his long-held dream come true: SpaceX’s launch site in South Texas has officially become the city of Starbase. And no, this isn’t a sci-fi movie—this is happening in Texas.
Vote? What Vote? It’s Basically All Musk Employees
A vote held Saturday gave Starbase its new city status by an overwhelming margin:
212 in favor, 6 against.
The Cameron County Elections Department reported that of the 283 eligible voters, most work for Musk. So, was this really a public vote—or just SpaceX rubber-stamping its own plan?
Musk cheered online, posting on X:
“Now a real city!”
From Rockets to Rulership
Starbase, located at the southernmost tip of Texas, is the main hub for SpaceX’s moon and Mars ambitions. It’s under federal contract with NASA and the Department of Defense. Musk floated the city idea back in 2021, and now it’s a done deal.
The city spans just 1.5 square miles, filled with trailers and modest homes, yet it’s at the center of plans that could reshape the region—or take it over.
Critics Call It What It Is: A Company Town
While local officials like the jobs, others are sounding alarms. This isn’t just about rockets—it’s about power, land, and access.
Many fear Musk now has control over decisions that affect the public, including beach closures at Boca Chica State Park and Beach. There are already bills in the Texas Legislature aimed at giving the new Starbase mayor and council the authority to close public areas, instead of the county.
Let that sink in: a private company wants the power to close a state beach.
And If You Don’t Leave the Beach? You Could Go to Jail
One proposed law would make it a Class B misdemeanor—with up to 180 days in jail—if you don’t obey an evacuation order during a launch.
Read that again.
A billionaire gets a city, and the public gets jail time for wanting a day at the beach.
“They Already Control the Roads, Schools, and Clinics”
SpaceX’s General Manager Kathryn Lueders wrote to local officials:
“We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community.”
She added that SpaceX already handles roads, utilities, schooling, and medical care for residents—making it clear: this isn’t a city, it’s a company town.
And they’re not talking. SpaceX refused to comment, even as it asks for permission to increase launches from 5 to 25 a year.
Locals Push Back: “It’s Not Just Important, It’s Sacred”
Protesters gathered Saturday as votes were counted. Josette Hinojosa, with her daughter nearby building sandcastles, said:
“Some days it’s closed, and some days you get turned away.”
Christopher Basaldú, of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas, called the land sacred:
“It’s not just important, it’s sacred.”
A Gaslighting Galaxy: Welcome to Starbase
So, here we are. Elon Musk has a city. One that might get to close public parks, punish beachgoers, and run its own utilities.
This isn’t innovation—it’s privatization of public space under the name of progress.
And the world should be gasping—not cheering.
