Elon Musk’s dream of turning his SpaceX spaceport into a city in South Texas became a reality on Saturday. A vote to make Starbase a municipality was supported by 97.7% of voters. Musk shared his excitement on social media, saying, “Starbase, Texas is now a real city!”
Starbase is the SpaceX launch site for rockets. It works with the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA, and aims to send astronauts to the moon and even Mars one day. The spaceport started in 2019, and Musk first proposed the idea of Starbase becoming a city in 2021.
S T A R B A S E https://t.co/Qs322y8n6E pic.twitter.com/GCMZAecjnH
— Space Sudoer (@spacesudoer) May 4, 2025
The vote took place among 283 eligible voters, mostly SpaceX workers from the nearby Boca Chica Bay, which is close to the border with Mexico. Musk even registered to vote, although he didn’t cast his ballot before the voting period ended.
The vote also decided that Bobby Peden, a SpaceX executive, would be the mayor of the new city, as he was the only name on the ballot.
However, some people have raised concerns about the environmental impact of Starbase becoming a city. Bekah Hinojosa, from the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, worries that the rocket operations could harm the environment, wildlife, and the local community. She is also concerned that SpaceX’s control over the land might limit access to nearby Boca Chica Beach, which has been a family spot for generations.
Additionally, members of the Carrizo or Comecrudo Nation of Texas, an Indigenous group, have also expressed concerns about the changes in the area. The Environmental Protection Agency and Texas authorities recently found that SpaceX had caused pollution in local waterways.
In response to these concerns, Musk joked about refraining from eating omelettes for a week after reports of damage to wildlife from SpaceX rockets.
