SpaceX Company Town Now Starbase City, Led Entirely By Employees From Elon Musk’s Team

Voters approved the incorporation of Starbase, Texas, officially making SpaceX’s company town a city centered around its launch site. Starbase became a Type C city under Texas law, incorporating SpaceX’s launch facility and nearby company-owned land. All three elected officials are SpaceX employees, including Mayor Bobby Peden, vice president of Texas test and launch operations. The commissioners are Jenna Petrzelka, a former engineering manager, and Jordan Buss, senior director of environmental health and safety. Environmental groups have criticized SpaceX for habitat damage, pollution, and regulatory violations at the Boca Chica site. A post from the new city’s X account said city status would support SpaceX’s mission to build “the future of humanity’s place in space.”