In the dusty outskirts of Boca Chica, Texas, a peculiar settlement has emerged—Starbase, the de facto company town of SpaceX. With an official population of just 283 residents, this tiny community exists for one purpose: to support Elon Musk’s interplanetary ambitions.
Life in a 21st-Century Company Town
✔ Who Lives Here?
- Mostly SpaceX employees and contractors
- A handful of holdouts from the original Boca Chica Village
- Zero conventional “city services” (no mayor, no police, no schools)
✔ Daily Reality:
- Earth-shaking rocket tests rattling windows weekly
- 24/7 SpaceX security patrols enforcing company rules
- Isolation – The nearest grocery store is 20 miles away
“It’s like living on a sci-fi movie set,” says engineer Mark Chen. “One day we’re fixing engines, the next we’re evacuating for a Starship launch.”
Why This Matters
- Legal Gray Zone: Starbase operates in a regulatory twilight between private property and public space
- Urban Planning Experiment: A test case for future Mars colonies
- Economic Impact: Brownsville’s economy has grown 300% since SpaceX arrived
The Future: City or Corporate Campus?
SpaceX has quietly acquired over 3,000 acres, suggesting expansion plans. But with:
- No plans for traditional housing
- Total dependence on SpaceX infrastructure
- Musk calling it “the gateway to Mars”
…this may be America’s first corporate city-state.
