Starbase, Texas, the new SpaceX city founded by Elon Musk, raises questions about private governance, environmental impact, and Indigenous rights.
A Futuristic Dream or Modern Colonization?
In the sun-scorched corner of southern Texas, a gleaming bust of Elon Musk—partially defaced by vandals—marks the entrance to a new frontier. Here, just outside Brownsville and steps away from the U.S.-Mexico border, Starbase, Texas, rises from the remains of a quiet beachside village. This is not a vision of the future—it’s the SpaceX headquarters turned town, shaped by the ambitions of the world’s richest man.
What was once Boca Chica Village, a sleepy community tucked beside a wildlife reserve, is now the heart of Musk’s interstellar aspirations. Through a combination of land acquisitions, infrastructure development, and political leverage, SpaceX successfully pushed for recognition of Starbase as an incorporated municipality. This new status gives the company-laced city the authority to issue building permits, collect limited property taxes, and even establish its own police department.
Today, Starbase spans approximately four square kilometers and is home to just over 200 residents—most of whom are SpaceX employees, including the mayor. On paper, it’s a small town. In practice, it’s a corporate domain.
A Landscape Transformed by Rockets and Regulation
Starbase is no ordinary community. Its streets—few in number—consist largely of state roads, mobile homes, pre-fab houses with manicured lawns, and the ever-present hum of construction. Towering over the area is SpaceX’s massive concrete headquarters and, beyond that, the Starship launch site, which extends almost to the surf of Boca Chica Beach.
SpaceX’s activity has brought jobs and tourism to Cameron County, with officials like County Judge Eddie Treviño touting the economic benefits: over 3,400 jobs and $800 million in local and state tax revenue. Yet, this growth comes at a price. Public access to the beach is routinely restricted during rocket launches or tests, which can be delayed for days, stranding plans and closing off coastal areas.
Locals like Alda and René Merlano, lifelong residents of the Rio Grande Valley, describe the change with a mix of sadness and anger. Once a regular spot for family outings, Boca Chica is now fenced off, buzzing with industrial noise, and interrupted by space-age infrastructure. “We used to pack the car and just go,” Alda recalls. Now, rocket fire rattles their home 25 kilometers away.
Juan Mancías, leader of the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe—an Indigenous community not recognized by federal authorities—sees a deeper injustice. To him, the transformation of the region by Musk’s forces mirrors centuries-old colonization tactics: “They came for one thing: to take life from this land,” he says.
Political Power and Property Tensions
Elon Musk’s influence extends far beyond Starbase. Despite distancing himself from the Trump administration, Musk’s connections remain strong. Reports from The New York Times indicate that allies sympathetic to SpaceX hold key roles in NASA and the U.S. Air Force, helping secure billions in federal contracts. Meanwhile, Musk continues to push for fewer environmental and federal regulations governing his launches.
Recently, the newly incorporated Starbase city issued letters warning local property owners that they could lose their right to use their land under new zoning regulations. The notices, signed by city manager Kent Myers, state that a public hearing on June 23 will determine whether residents can continue using their properties as they do today. The proposed changes include updating zoning maps and regulations to allow for more commercial and residential development.
Environmental groups have raised alarms, citing threats to protected lands and Indigenous heritage sites. Reports claim that the launch activities and expanding infrastructure are damaging acres of natural habitat, jeopardizing the delicate balance of this unique Gulf Coast ecosystem.
From Starbase, SpaceX launches and tests its Starship rocket, part of Musk’s grand vision to colonize Mars. The same facility is a critical player in U.S. defense contracts, including Pentagon use of its Starlink satellite system.
Who Really Controls Starbase?
With growing tensions between residents, environmentalists, Indigenous groups, and Musk’s ever-expanding empire, a fundamental question lingers: Who truly governs Starbase?
For many, Musk’s control over the newly minted city represents a privatized takeover masquerading as progress. But as Juan Mancías points out, “He has no real power. The power lies with the community—he’s just trying to take it.”
As June 23 approaches and city hearings loom, residents of Starbase and its surroundings must weigh the promise of economic growth against the loss of land, tradition, and public space. Is this a shining beacon of innovation—or a cautionary tale of unchecked corporate ambition?
