Elon Musk is getting closer to his dream of turning SpaceX base into a city?

Tourists pose in front of SpaceX's Starbase in Texas, ahead of its launch in October 2024 - Photo: AFP

SpaceX's Senior Representative to Be Mayor?

According to AFP, the outcome of the vote is almost predictable, with a high possibility that a senior SpaceX representative will become the first mayor of Starbase.

There were about 283 eligible voters, most of whom were SpaceX employees or people with connections to the company. Most of the ballots were cast before the deadline of 7 p.m. on May 3 (local time).

The vote included a market election. But only SpaceX vice president of test and launch Bobby Peden was on the ballot.

According to local election authorities, billionaire Elon Musk himself is on the voter list, but he has not yet voted during the early voting period that ended on April 29.

Starbase in Cameron County, Texas, has been operational since 2019. This is the testing site for SpaceX rocket launches.

Official documents show that nearly 500 people currently live around the Starbase base in Cameron County, on land largely owned by SpaceX or its employees.

If it becomes a city, Starbase would have control over construction, licensing, and legal barriers, as well as the power to collect taxes and enact local laws.

Musk himself first proposed the idea of ​​Starbase City in a social media post four years ago, and last December, SpaceX CEO Kathryn Lueders called on local authorities to grant the site city status.

In the letter, she argued that SpaceX had built its own infrastructure, healthcare andeducation services at the site. She also pledged that the new city would not undermine SpaceX’s efforts to reduce the base’s environmental impact.

Concerns about environmental impact

Environmental activist Bekah Hinojosa fears that "Starbase City" will cause more serious environmental pollution, increase the risk of seismic events from rocket launches, shake houses, and destroy wildlife habitat.

She also accused SpaceX of restricting public access to Boca Chica Beach for years and feared the new city would completely cut off access to a beach that has been popular for generations.

The Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas, descendants of an indigenous community in the area, has also spoken out in opposition.

This week, a Texas House committee rejected a bill proposed by Republican lawmakers that would have allowed coastal cities with spaceports to control beach access.

In 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency and Texas authorities found that SpaceX was responsible for repeated waste spills and discharges into rivers and lakes in the state.

When news broke that SpaceX's rocket had damaged wild bird nests, billionaire Musk posted on social media: "To atone for this heinous crime, I will not eat omelettes for a week."

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/elon-musk-tien-gan-uoc-mo-bien-can-cu-spacex-thanh-mot-thanh-pho-20250503142755655.htm