# Starbase (DD-582) > Starbase is SpaceX's Starship build, test and launch site on the Boca Chica peninsula in Cameron County, Texas, about 20 miles east of Brownsville and close to the Mexican border. The area began as Kennedy Shores, a small subdivision founded in 1967 and later renamed Kopernik Shores; by the 2000s it was better known as Boca Chica Village and had only a handful of permanent residents. SpaceX started buying land there in 2012 and announced in August 2014 that Boca Chica would be its South Texas launch site, with limited construction that year and much larger work from about 2018. Prototype flight testing began in 2019. Elon Musk announced plans for a city called Starbase in March 2021, and SpaceX petitioned Cameron County for an incorporation vote in 2024. On May 3, 2025, voters approved incorporation 212 to 6, according to Cameron County's election results, and Bobby Peden, SpaceX's vice president of Texas test and launch, was elected mayor unopposed. The county commissioners court certified the result on May 20, 2025, making Starbase a Type C general-law city with a mayor and two commissioners. Supporters, including local economic development officials, point to jobs and tourism; some residents and conservation groups have raised concerns about land use, launch effects and the nearby wildlife refuge. The footage shows Starship hardware and the tall assembly buildings at the site. - Department: Locations (also Space) - First published: 2025-05-27 - Last updated: 2025-05-27 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/starbase/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## Status as of Oct. 18, 2026 Starbase has approved an ordinance creating its own police department (February 3, 2026), and its commissioners voted in February 2026 to pursue annexing about 7,133 acres of mostly unpopulated land to the east. ## On the timeline - **1967**: Kennedy Shores subdivision is founded - **2014**: SpaceX picks Boca Chica for its South Texas launch site - **2019**: Prototype flight testing begins - **March 2021**: Elon Musk announces plans for a city called Starbase - **May 3, 2025**: Voters approve incorporation, 212 to 6 - **May 20, 2025**: Cameron County certifies Starbase as a city Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=starbase ## Quick facts - **DD-582-F01**: Starbase voters approved incorporation 212 to 6 on May 3, 2025. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (The vote))_ - **DD-582-F02**: Cameron County certified Starbase as a city on May 20, 2025. _(Write-up · Exhibit D (A city on May 20))_ ## Write-up A rocket factory that became a city. Voters approved the city of Starbase, Texas, 212 to 6 on May 3, 2025. 1. **From Kennedy Shores**: The settlement began in 1967 as Kennedy Shores, later Kopernik Shores, then Boca Chica Village. 2. **A launch site from 2014**: SpaceX picked Boca Chica for its South Texas launch site in August 2014. Flight testing began in 2019. 3. **The vote**: Voters approved incorporation 212 to 6 on May 3, 2025. 4. **A city on May 20**: Cameron County certified the result on May 20, 2025, creating a Type C general-law city. 5. **SpaceX leadership**: Mayor Bobby Peden, elected unopposed, is SpaceX's vice president of Texas test and launch. ## Related case files - [Baikonur Cosmodrome (DD-570)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/baikonur-cosmodrome/): I paired it with another launch site that grew its own town - [One Roof Town (DD-008)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/whittier-one-roof/): I think of it as another town shaped by one big building - [SpaceX (DD-522)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/spacex/): I linked SpaceX's launch site - [Deluge Days (DD-594)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/deluge-days/): I paired it with another rocket site where water deluges matter ## Reel vs. record - **Note**: 'Originally established in 2014 as a private launch site': I'd put it slightly differently. SpaceX began buying land at Boca Chica in 2012, chose it as its South Texas launch site in August 2014 and started limited construction that year. The site wasn't called Starbase until 2021. - **Note**: 'In May 2025, Starbase was officially incorporated as a city, following a local vote': correct. The vote was on May 3, 2025, and the county certified it on May 20, 2025. - **Note**: 'Leadership positions filled by SpaceX employees': accurate as far as I can tell. Mayor Bobby Peden is a SpaceX vice president, and he ran unopposed; Wikipedia reports that the two commissioners also have SpaceX ties. - **Missing**: the place was a small subdivision long before SpaceX. It was founded in 1967 as Kennedy Shores. ## Video: Starbase: A Rocket Factory That Became a City - Duration: 27.3 s · Published: 2025-05-27 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DKKdb1vxgpx.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? Starbase is Spacex's expansive launch and manufacturing complex, located in Cameron County, Texas, near Boca Chica Beach. Originally established in 2014 as a private launch site, it has evolved into the primary development and testing ground for the Starship rocket system, Spacex's fully reusable vehicle designed for missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. In May 2025, Starbase was officially incorporated as a city, following a local vote, with leadership positions filled by SpaceX employees. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: In which Texas county is Starbase?** A: On the Boca Chica peninsula east of Brownsville. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (From Kennedy Shores) · Wikipedia: Starbase, Texas)_ **Q: When did SpaceX choose Boca Chica for its South Texas launch site?** A: It announced the choice in August 2014. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (A launch site from 2014) · Wikipedia: Starbase, Texas)_ **Q: What was the vote on incorporating Starbase?** A: Held on May 3, 2025. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The vote) · KUT / The Texas Newsroom: City of Starbase becomes official (May 20, 2025); Cameron County Elections: City of Starbase summary results, May 3, 2025)_ **Q: When did Starbase officially become a city?** A: The county certified the vote that day. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (A city on May 20) · Wikipedia: Starbase, Texas; KUT / The Texas Newsroom: City of Starbase becomes official (May 20, 2025))_ **Q: Who is Starbase's first mayor?** A: A SpaceX vice president who ran unopposed. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (SpaceX leadership) · Cameron County Elections: City of Starbase summary results, May 3, 2025; City of Starbase: City Commission and Staff)_ ## Sources - [Wikipedia: Starbase, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbase,_Texas) - [KUT / The Texas Newsroom: City of Starbase becomes official (May 20, 2025)](https://www.kut.org/politics/2025-05-20/elon-musk-texas-spacex-starbase-city-official-election-certification) - [Cameron County Elections: City of Starbase summary results, May 3, 2025](https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/elections/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/City-of-Starbase-Summary.pdf) - [City of Starbase: City Commission and Staff](https://www.starbase.texas.gov/city-commission-and-staff) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "Starbase." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-582, last updated May 27, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/starbase/