Thought Leadership
Musk wants to take people to Mars. But he also has big plans on the ground.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk (53) wants to turn the site of his space company SpaceX in the US state of Texas into a city. The company has submitted an application to the local authorities in Cameron County to incorporate the complex, known as Starbase, according to a letter published on X on Thursday (local time). Such a move could help accelerate the development of the necessary infrastructure to make Starbase a “premier place to live”, it said.
South Texas as the “Gateway to Mars”
“We are investing billions in infrastructure and generating hundreds of millions in revenue and taxes for local businesses and government – all with the goal of making South Texas the gateway to Mars,” wrote Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders.
The remote site on the Gulf of Mexico is located in Boca Chica at the south-eastern tip of Texas and close to the border with the neighboring country. Around 3,500 people work at the Starbase, which is also home to SpaceX’s spaceport, according to media reports. Several hundred of them live there.
Cameron County itself has a population of around 420,000. A vote is required for incorporation. The authorities are now examining the application, it was said.
Protest from residents
However, opposition to SpaceX’s establishment has also formed in the Rio Grande Valley. A local initiative called Save RGV (Rio Grande Valley) accuses the company of damaging the environment. The company, on the other hand, stated in the letter that it is committed to protecting the environment.
Musk, who according to Forbes is the richest person in the world with a fortune of around 430 billion dollars, announced in the summer that he would be moving the headquarters of SpaceX and the online platform X from California to Texas. He cited his displeasure with the liberal policies in the west coast state as his reason for doing so.
Musk is also the boss of electric car manufacturer Tesla – and has already relocated the company from Palo Alto in California’s Silicon Valley to Austin in Texas.
dpa
