South Texas just got a cosmic upgrade! On May 3, 2025, a tiny patch of land near Boca Chica, populated mostly by SpaceX employees, voted 212 to 6 to become the official city of Starbase, Texas. That’s right, Elon Musk’s dream of turning his rocket playground into a full-blown municipality has blasted off, and it’s landing with a thud louder than a Starship touchdown
A Vote That Was Out of This World
Picture this: a polling station on SpaceX’s campus, with voters rocking SpaceX T-shirts and Starbase baseball caps, strolling in to cast their ballots.
With only 283 eligible voters—most of whom probably have “Rocket Engineer” on their LinkedIn profiles—the election was less a nail-biter and more a victory lap. The final tally? A whopping 98% said, “Yes, let’s make Starbase a real city!”
Elon celebrated on X, declaring, “Starbase, Texas, is now a real city!”—because apparently, he wasn’t kidding when he started calling it that back in 2021.
Meet the Mayor: SpaceX’s VP, Naturally
Leading this new cosmic city is none other than Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice-president who’s probably already got a desk plaque that says “Mayor of the Galaxy.”
Alongside him are two commissioners, Jenna Petrzelka and Jordan Buss, both tied to SpaceX, who ran unopposed. Talk about a company town—Starbase’s government is basically SpaceX HR with a fancier letterhead.
The city spans a cozy 1.5 square miles, about the size of a small asteroid, and houses around 500 residents, including Musk himself, who claims he lives in a $50k shack rented from his own company. Humble, right?
Why Starbase? Because Mars Needs a Pit Stop
So, why does SpaceX need its own city? According to Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders, it’s all about “growing the community” to support the workforce building those shiny Starship rockets. Translation: SpaceX wants to make life easier for its employees by controlling zoning, utilities, and maybe even the local taco stand.
With plans to ramp up launches from 5 to 25 a year, Starbase is set to become the ultimate launchpad for Musk’s Mars-colonization dreams. Who needs a cul-de-sac when you’ve got a rocket test site in your backyard?
The Dark Side of the Moon: Critics Cry Foul
Not everyone’s over the moon about Starbase. Environmental groups like the South Texas Environmental Justice Network are waving red flags, warning that SpaceX’s expansion could turn Boca Chica Beach into a “No Trespassing” zone for the public.
The Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe is also sounding alarms about ecological damage, pointing to rocket debris and light pollution as party poopers for local wildlife. And then there’s the beach access drama—proposed Texas bills would’ve let Starbase control Boca Chica Beach closures, but lawmakers shot that down faster than a failed test flight.
Still, with SpaceX pushing for more launches, locals worry their beach days might be replaced by “rocket viewing parties.”
A Bust of Musk and a Street Called Memes
Starbase isn’t just a city; it’s a vibe. The area already boasts a road named Memes Street (because, of course, it does) and a giant bust of Elon that recently got a graffiti makeover.
With SpaceX owning most of the land and building employee housing faster than you can say “interplanetary,” Starbase is less a town and more a sci-fi movie set. Rumor has it, the local diner might even start serving “Martian Burgers” to keep the theme going.
What’s Next for Starbase?
With the vote certified, Starbase is ready to launch its own government, complete with a police department and maybe a fire truck painted like a Starship. Musk’s already eyeing another company town near Austin, because why stop at one galactic zip code?
For now, Starbase is a shiny new feather in Elon’s cap, proving that when you’re the world’s richest rocket man, you don’t just build spaceships—you build entire cities.
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