SpaceX Starbase Might Soon Control The South Texas Public Beach — Here’s Why

The SpaceX Starbase launch site might soon become a city of its own and gain control of activities in the South Texas public beach area. At this time, Elon Musk, alongside some Texas lawmakers, is working to get official legislation to give the firm control over activities around the region’s public beach.

A Vote To Make SpaceX Starbase A City Of Its Own

Back in 2021, space tech mogul Elon Musk first pitched the idea of turning the SpaceX Starbase into a city. He made this desire public via an X post on 2 March 2021, now, four years after making this post, the Texas legislature will vote on bringing this dream to reality.

Currently, the space firm’s launch base is part of Cameron County, which has complete control over the public beach. Last month, the county gave the approval to hold an election among its residents to decide on making the launch site a new town.

This election will take place on 3 May 2025, and those eligible to vote are residents living around the Starbase launch site. It is also good to note that the area around the Starbase launch site is occupied by SpaceX employees.

These residents are also the ones who drafted and submitted the petition to Cameron County requesting an election to decide the status of the launch site. So there is a high chance that the votes on this decision will go in the favour of SpaceX.

Regarding control over the public beach, a bill filed on 14 March 2025 requests that control over roads and beach activities be given to Starbase if it becomes a municipality. If this bill is passed and Starbase becomes a city of its own, it’ll gain control over the South Texas public beach and roads leading to it during the weekdays.

Cameron County will retain control over the public beach and its roads during the weekends. With this level of control, the SpaceX Starbase launch site will no longer need approval from Cameron County to close down the beach for a rocket launch.

What Problem Does Making Starbase A City Solve?

By becoming a city, the SpaceX Starbase launch site will be able to ensure that residents in the area are safe during launches. To do this, the launch site will clear the South Texas public beach as well as roads leading up to the beach, hence keeping citizens out of harm’s way.

Currently, Cameron County already performs these actions and ensures that the beach is clear ahead of every launch. So it is unclear what this desire to become a municipal city is or what it aims to achieve.

Some might argue that once given control over the South Texas beach during the weekdays, SpaceX will double its rocket launch efforts. However, State Senator Adam Hinojosa assures citizens that this won’t be the case.

SpaceX has other problems in the region to deal with, other than moving to become a city. Some of these issues include proper dumping of waste materials and finding solutions to noise pollution in the region.