Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to establish an official company town named Starbase, following a decisive vote by community residents near the Starbase launch site in southern Texas. The voting resulted in a significant majority, with 212 votes in favour and just six against incorporating the area as a city. Musk took to his platform, X, to celebrate the news, declaring, “Starbase, Texas is now a real city!”
The new city’s population is primarily comprised of SpaceX employees, who also participated in electing three of their own. Bobby Peden was chosen as the mayor, while Jordan Buss and Jenna Petrzelka will serve as commissioners, all of whom ran unopposed.
While SpaceX has not publicly outlined the specific reasons for seeking city status, reports indicate the company currently oversees local infrastructure such as roads and utilities. Moreover, the incorporation aims to facilitate governance changes, including the ability to close Boca Chica beach and a state park for launch events.
Musk, who has recently indicated a desire to limit his involvement with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, moved SpaceX’s headquarters from California to the Starbase facility in Texas last year. He cited security concerns, particularly around crime in the Los Angeles area, and expressed dissatisfaction with California legislation related to student confidentiality as motivating factors for the move.
Following the election results, a newly created X account for the town posted a statement highlighting the goal of fostering a vibrant community for those contributing to advancements in space exploration.
Fanpage: TechArena.au
Watch more about AI – Artificial Intelligence
