Elon Musk launches mission to turn SpaceX's Starbase site into its own Texas city

By RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

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Elon Musk has set out to turn the Texas site of his company's headquarters into its own city.

The 53-year-old billionaire announced he would move the SpaceX headquarters to the Lone Star State over California's new gender identity laws earlier this year. 

He said SpaceX's main office would move to an existing facility called Starbase located the in southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, near the Mexican border.

Musk's company submitted a letter to local officials on Thursday to start the process of getting residents in the area to vote on turning Starbase into an incorporated city.

'To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,' the letter said.

'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.'

Musk embraced the idea writing on X, 'SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas!'

The billionaire moved to the Lone Star state in 2020 after living in California for two decades, before relocating his company. 

Elon Musk has set out to turn the Texas site of SpaceX's Starbase facility (pictured) into its own city

Recently, President-elect Donald Trump joined Musk for a rocket launch at the SpaceX headquarters in Texas

Musk has been manifesting the idea's potential since proposing the idea in 2021 when he wrote a social media post that simply said, 'Creating the city of Starbase, Texas.' 

Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the county's top elected official, said despite the talks of incorporation in 2021, this was the first time a petition was officially filed.

'Our legal and elections administration will review the petition, see whether or not it complied with all of the statutory requirements and then we'll go from there,' Treviño said.

More than 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors work at the Starbase site, according to a local impact study issued by Trevino earlier this year.

SpaceX's rapid expansion in the region has drawn pushback from some locals. Earlier this year, a group called Save RGV sued the company in July over allegations of environmental violations and dumping polluted water into the nearby bay.

SpaceX said in response that a state review found no environmental risks and called the lawsuit 'frivolous.'

Recently, President-elect Donald Trump joined Musk for a rocket launch at the SpaceX headquarters.

The president-elect, 78, listened intently as the Tesla billionaire explained how his rockets work before watching the largest in his fleet take off on the horizon.

Trump's granddaughter Kai posted a video from the launch that included Trump asking Musk if a rocket booster that fell into the Gulf of Mexico could be reused

Trump's granddaughter Kai posted a video from the launch that included Trump asking Musk if a rocket booster that fell into the Gulf of Mexico could be reused

SpaceX's main office moved to an existing facility called Starbase located the in southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, near the Mexican border

Wearing a red MAGA hat and surrounded by Republican Senators Ted Cruz, Bill Haggerty, Kevin Cramer and Rep. Ronny Jackson, he glared at the horizon as the starship shot upwards.

Granddaughter Kai posted a video from the launch that included Trump asking Musk if a rocket booster that fell into the Gulf of Mexico could be reused.

An exacerbated Musk could be seen visibly frustrated about seven-and-a-half-minutes into the video as he tried to explain how the destroyed booster could not be used again. 

'We had some concerns about the tower so it was commanded to land out at sea,' Musk is seen telling a pouting Trump, 78, in the video posted by Kai.

'Can they use that again? Can they get it from the sea?' Trump asked as he stook alongside Musk and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Musk appears to do a double take before responding with: 'Uhh, it's going to be...it's...it's probably gonna blow up. That's my guess.'

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