In the decade since SpaceX arrived on the Texas coast, billionaire Elon Musk's company has created thousands of jobs near the Mexico border, launched rockets and sprung up new homes — all around an area dubbed Starbase.

This is not even Musk’s first foray into company towns—a model that sees its roots in anti-labor organization and corporatist fascism. Farther north in Texas, near the outskirts of Austin, SpaceX operates Snailbrook, a city incorporated in 2021 and pitched as a sort of utopia for SpaceX and Boring Company employees.

SpaceX is requesting an election to incorporate the city of Starbase, Texas. It would be located in Cameron County where the company is developing Starship.