Voters approve incorporation of SpaceX’s Starbase despite protests and fears over beach closures

Elon Musk has officially planted a new flag on the Texas coastline. In a landslide vote on Saturday, residents of the small community near SpaceX’s South Texas launch facility approved a measure to transform the area into its own city, aptly named Starbase.

With a tally of 212 votes in favour and only 6 against, the creation of Starbase as an incorporated city has passed overwhelmingly—though critics were quick to point out that most of the electorate consisted of SpaceX employees and their families.

Musk celebrated the win with a typically exuberant post on social media, declaring, “Starbase is now a real city!” He included photos of rockets, stars, and fireworks to mark the milestone.

For supporters, the decision marks a new chapter for the region—a future powered by jobs, investment, and innovation. SpaceX has rapidly transformed the sleepy coastal outpost of Boca Chica into the centre of its interstellar ambitions, with launchpads, assembly facilities, and private housing built on what was once a quiet beach town.

But for others, the vote has ignited deep concerns. Outside the polling sites, protestors gathered with signs and effigies—including a piñata of Musk—warning of the dangers of creating a “company town” where civic governance is effectively in corporate hands.

Critics argue that by incorporating, SpaceX is laying the groundwork to claim authority over public land and infrastructure, particularly Boca Chica Beach and State Park, which lie adjacent to the launch facility. The company has pushed state lawmakers to pass bills transferring beach closure authority from Cameron County to the new city government, effectively letting Musk’s inner circle decide when public beaches are shut for launch safety.

“They’re building a city not for the people, but for a corporation,” said local resident Natalia Salinas, who joined Saturday’s protest at the beach. “This isn’t about space. It’s about control.”

Yet SpaceX’s leadership insists that the move is about growth and governance. In a letter sent last year to local authorities, Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders outlined the company’s case: SpaceX already manages roads, utilities, and even provides education and healthcare for residents living on its property. “We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” she wrote.

With plans to increase launches in the region from five to 25 per year, SpaceX argues that city status will streamline operations and provide residents with better services. However, the changes could also mean restricted public access to land and roads long used by local communities and nature lovers alike.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., a key figure in negotiations between the county and SpaceX, has pushed back against any shift in beach governance. “There’s been no need to change the current arrangement,” he said, warning that the broader public’s interests must remain protected.

Despite tensions, SpaceX still enjoys broad support from many local officials who see the company as a job engine and a symbol of South Texas’s rising economic profile. The new city is likely to fast-track permits, zoning requests, and other development priorities key to SpaceX’s vision of a future where humans launch to Mars from the Gulf Coast.

But for now, Starbase is a city in name—and a battleground in spirit. With legislative battles looming and tensions mounting over land access, the vote may mark only the first stage in a long contest over who gets to write the rules in Elon Musk’s newest frontier.