SpaceX, Elon Musk’s private aerospace company, has its eyes set on more than just rocket launches. While the company races to make humanity a multi-planetary species, Musk is also setting his sights on a much smaller, more local venture—a town in Texas.

This small corner of the Texas coast, once a peaceful beach community, could soon transform into a SpaceX-controlled town, with its own government, emergency services, and school district. This vision, however, comes with a fair share of controversy.

Starbase: SpaceX’s Vision for a New Town

Known as Starbase, this area along the Texas coast has been SpaceX’s primary testing and launching site for rockets since 2014. But now, SpaceX is looking to take things further. The company has submitted a petition to the state of Texas to create a new town within the 2-square-mile site.

If approved, Starbase would be more than just a spaceport; it could become an official municipality controlled by SpaceX. The company is proposing that the new town would have its own fire department, emergency services, and even a school district—entirely run by SpaceX.

The idea of a private company running its own town seems strange, but it’s not entirely new. For years, Silicon Valley companies like Google and Apple have discussed creating their own private communities. What makes SpaceX’s plan unique is its ambition to control not only the town’s administration but also key infrastructure such as the beach and the road leading to the spaceport.

A Quiet Beach, Now a Launchpad for Space Exploration

Boca Chica Beach, once a quiet and largely untouched stretch of sand on the Gulf Coast, has become home to SpaceX’s most important space exploration tests. This area is a stone’s throw away from Brownsville, Texas, and serves as the site for testing the company’s next-generation rockets, including Starship, the spacecraft Musk hopes will one day take humanity to Mars.

While Boca Chica Beach is still a beach for many locals, the community has begun to feel the impact of SpaceX’s presence. Rocket launches are not quiet events—they shake the ground, cause vibrations in nearby homes, and leave behind signs of destruction, both in the form of debris and environmental impact. The area has seen its share of successes and failures, including SpaceX’s highly publicized Starship launch in April 2023, which ended with a spectacular failure.

The rocket cleared the launch pad but ultimately lost control of its super-heavy booster engines. The failure prompted SpaceX to activate Starship’s flight termination system to ensure the rocket didn’t veer off its planned trajectory. Despite this, SpaceX continues to push forward, planning for up to 25 launches per year.

SpaceX’s Petition for a New Municipality: A Bold Step Forward

In 2022, SpaceX officially petitioned the state of Texas to create a new town, which would become the first town run by a private corporation. If approved, Starbase would become its own entity, with the power to manage its own affairs, make decisions about public safety, and oversee local zoning laws. According to the petition, SpaceX would also gain control over the surrounding areas, including the beach and the road that leads to the spaceport.

Currently, a few hundred people are officially registered as residents of the area, including Elon Musk himself. Musk is even registered to vote at an address within the proposed town, giving him a personal stake in the vote that will determine whether Starbase will officially become a city.

The Local Response: Environmental and Community Concerns

Not everyone is thrilled with the idea of Starbase becoming a fully operational town. Locals have expressed concerns about the environmental impact of SpaceX’s operations. Environmentalists argue that the rocket launches disrupt the natural habitat, shake homes, and pollute the surrounding ecosystem.

Local resident Bekah Hinojosa, who heads a local environmental group, has been vocal about these concerns. She told ABC News that SpaceX’s rocket launches shake the foundations of nearby homes and have caused significant environmental damage to Boca Chica Beach, including the illegal dumping of polluted water into the area’s ecosystem.

“I feel like they’re colonizing this place,” Hinojosa said. “The rent is going up, and it’s all tied to SpaceX coming into this area.”

Rene Medrano, another local, shared his disappointment. Medrano grew up visiting Boca Chica Beach, and it’s a place he’s always cherished. Now, he feels the environment he grew up with is being lost to SpaceX’s plans. “It’s disheartening,” Medrano said, “We see the spaceship blowups. We see the environments being torn up around that area.”

Many residents, like Medrano, feel that the demands of a corporate-driven space program have overshadowed their once peaceful beach community. As SpaceX continues to expand its operations, these concerns are growing.

SpaceX’s Plans for the Future: Will the Public Lose Access to the Beach?

One of the most controversial aspects of SpaceX’s plan for Starbase is the potential closure of the public beach and the road leading to the spaceport. SpaceX has expressed interest in having the authority to close these public spaces, particularly during rocket launches. The Texas legislature is currently considering a bill that would grant the new municipality, Starbase, the ability to close public access to Boca Chica Beach and the road leading to the spaceport.

However, supporters of SpaceX’s plan, including Texas State Rep. Janie Lopez, who authored the bill, say that public access will still be maintained. “It’s not about taking the beach away from the people,” Lopez testified during a committee hearing. “It’s about ensuring that the people have control over what happens in their municipality.”

Still, many locals worry that the spaceport’s needs will take priority over the community’s right to access the beach. The Texas Open Beaches Act guarantees free public access to the state’s beaches, and any effort to limit that access is likely to meet significant opposition.

A Critical Vote: Will Starbase Become a Reality?

On May 3, the area’s residents will vote on whether to approve the creation of Starbase. If the vote passes, SpaceX could officially take control of the area, turning a quiet beach community into a private, corporate-run town. For many, this is a significant shift, and there is a lot at stake—public access to the beach, environmental protection, and the future of the local community.

The Future of SpaceX and Texas: A Vision for Mars and a Town

As the debate over Starbase continues, one thing is clear: SpaceX’s ambitions are far-reaching. The company’s goal to make humanity a multi-planetary species, with Mars as its final destination, remains unchanged. SpaceX has made significant strides in developing the technology to send humans to Mars, but the plan for Starbase could be just as important. Whether or not the community votes to create the town, SpaceX will likely continue to operate in Texas, launching rockets and pushing the boundaries of space exploration.

However, the creation of Starbase will mark a new chapter in the relationship between private companies, local communities, and public resources. As Elon Musk’s SpaceX leads the charge into space, the people of Brownsville, Texas, will have to decide whether to embrace or resist the changes that come with being on the frontier of space exploration.

Conclusion

For now, the people of Brownsville, Texas, are left to grapple with the potential consequences of a corporate town built around a spaceport. While SpaceX’s vision for Mars remains inspiring, the people who call this corner of Texas home are asking a simple question: Will they still have a place in the future that SpaceX is creating?