SpaceX’s packed rocket launch schedule may get in the way of beach days. If the company succeeds in turning its launch site into an official city, SpaceX could assume full control over road and beach closures in Boca Chica, Texas.
Texas lawmakers filed legislation that would effectively grant SpaceX officials sole authority to close down roads and public beaches near the Starbase launch site in South Texas for rocket launches, ground testing, or other related activities during the week, the Houston Chronicle reported. The legislation could become effective depending on an upcoming vote to decide whether to turn Starbase into a city.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk first pitched the idea of a Starbase city in 2021. In February, Cameron County in Texas approved holding an election to let its residents vote to create a new town called Starbase, built around SpaceX’s ongoing launch endeavors. The election will be held on May 3, and votes will be cast by residents living near SpaceX’s Starbase. Most of the residents are SpaceX employees who submitted a petition in December 2024 to request an election regarding the decision to make Starbase its own municipality. That means the vote is likely to go in the rocket company’s favor.
Now, an additional bill filed on March 14 would grant SpaceX control over road and beach closures for its rocket activities. Although the bill, filed by two Republican senators, does not mention SpaceX by name, it refers to counties with spaceports and beach access “bordering on the Gulf of Mexico or its tidewater limits,” according to My RGV.
As of now, Cameron County officials are in charge of road and beach closures. If the bill is approved, Cameron County would maintain its authority during the weekend, but Starbase, as its own jurisdiction, would have control on weekdays to close down roads and public beaches near the launch site. Cameron County already closes down the Boca Chica beach during tests and launches of SpaceX’s rockets, namely Starship.
During a public hearing held on Wednesday, State Senator Adam Hinojosa claimed the bill would not increase the frequency of beach closures, but rather, “streamline administrative processes while maintaining local oversight,” according to local reports.
There is concern, however, that SpaceX’s launch site is harming its surrounding landscape. In July 2024, the Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy, and other conservation groups filed a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration, alleging that it rushed SpaceX’s Starship permitting process without adequate environmental review or mitigation requirements. SpaceX is also facing fines of almost $150,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency for allegedly illegally dumping pollutants into a Texas waterway without a permit.
Earlier last year, SpaceX also announced plans to open a $15 million shopping center and restaurant near Starbase. The company’s frequent rocket launches are already a nuisance to the surrounding environment, and SpaceX seems intent on becoming even more obnoxious in the area.
