Elon Musk’s new company town, Starbase, located along the Texas Gulf Coast, has officially become a city. The incorporation election, which took place over the weekend, saw overwhelming support with 212 votes in favor and only six against, surpassing the 143 votes needed for approval. Starbase is designated as a Type C city in Texas, which applies to areas with a population ranging from 201 to 4,999 inhabitants. The city encompasses a 1.6 square-mile area that includes SpaceX’s launch facility and company-owned land.
The newly elected mayor of Starbase is Bobby Peden, a 36-year-old SpaceX veteran who currently serves as the vice president of Texas test and launch operations. Peden has been with the company since 2013, bringing over a decade of experience in the aerospace industry. He is joined by two commissioners, both of whom are SpaceX employees. One of the commissioners is Jenna Petrzelka, 39, who until July was an operations engineering manager at SpaceX, and is now identified as a philanthropist. She is married to Joe Petrzelka, a SpaceX vice president. The other commissioner is Jordan Buss, 40, who serves as the senior director of environmental health and safety for SpaceX and joined the company in 2023.
The creation of Starbase marks the culmination of Elon Musk’s vision for SpaceX’s presence in Boca Chica, Texas, which began over a decade ago. The company’s efforts in the area include the development of the SpaceX Starship program, which had its first integrated vehicle launch from Starbase in April 2023, although the launch ended in an explosion. In the aftermath of the explosion, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported a fire and environmental damages caused by the incident. SpaceX faced fines for violating the Clean Water Act, and both the company and the Federal Aviation Administration have been sued by environmental groups and indigenous communities who argue that the activities have harmed local ecosystems, including endangered species.
Despite the legal and environmental challenges, Starbase’s leaders believe that becoming a city will help them continue their work in creating a thriving community for the people shaping the future of space exploration. The city’s leadership, composed mostly of SpaceX employees, aims to foster growth and innovation while contributing to the company’s broader mission of advancing humanity’s presence in space.
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