In a major step toward realizing Elon Musk’s vision of a company-run city, residents in Boca Chica, Texas—most of whom are SpaceX employees and their families—are voting to incorporate their community into a new municipality named Starbase. The outcome is expected to pass easily, with SpaceX’s workforce making up the vast majority of the population.
If approved, the creation of Starbase would grant the community self-governance through local ordinances and infrastructure decisions. The proposed leadership—mayor and commissioners—are all long-time SpaceX employees running unopposed. Among them is Bobby Peden, a vice president at SpaceX, who has worked for the company since 2013.
Starbase is situated on a small stretch of land near the Gulf of Mexico, close to the Mexican border. It features prefabricated homes, a private employee restaurant called the Astropub, and streets with names like “Memes Street.” A large golden bust of Musk stands in the center of town, symbolizing his influence despite him holding no formal title in city governance.
While Musk promotes the idea as a way to streamline launch operations and infrastructure coordination, critics have raised serious concerns. Activist groups like the South Texas Environmental Justice Network argue that the town’s incorporation would give SpaceX unchecked control over public areas, including access to Boca Chica Beach, a place with deep cultural and spiritual significance to local residents and indigenous tribes.
Despite opposition, the vote marks a symbolic and practical milestone in Musk’s broader Texas expansion. As SpaceX’s importance in government contracts grows, Starbase could serve as a model—or a warning—of how modern tech empires interface with traditional civic structures.