Like moguls before him—see Henry Ford‘s “Fordlandia” built in Brazil in the 1930s—Elon Musk dreams of a city all his own. If he gets his way it will be in Texas and he’ll call it “Starbase.”
The name sounds fanciful at first but it is partly practical—Starbase, Texas would essentially be centered around Musk’s SpaceX endeavor, which already has projects in place like a trip to the Moon (on Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa’s dime).
Musk frequently couches real ideas in seeming jokes, but SpaceX owns a rocket production facility in Cameron County, Texas. and officials there say the billionaire really has approached officials about creating a new city called Starbase.
A Cameron County website posted a statement Tuesday in which Judge Eddie Treviño said SpaceX has indeed asked about the possibility of incorporating Boca Chica Village (population 26 in the 2000 census). According to the Judge, the county is open to incorporation, but statutes must be followed and Cameron will handle any related petitions in line with Texas law.
Musk tweeted Tuesday that the actual area he wants to annex will be “much larger than Boca Chica.”
The moonshot planned by billionaire Yusaku Maezawa would likely take off from there, so if you’re up to training to go to space in the Texas heat—Boca Chica is just north of the US-Mexico border and due south of South Padre Island—note that Musk and Maezawa are looking for eight volunteers to join the 2023 mission.
According to Marketwatch, Maezawa is seeking “two key criteria for those who want to fly to space with him: A willingness to push the envelope to create a better society, and a willingness to support others, including crewmembers, in their aspirations.”
Does becoming famous as a member of the first-ever civilian mission to the Moon appeal to you? Go here to learn more: DearMoon.earth.
Telling friends you’re going to South Padre Island is cool enough, but saying you’re heading down to the Starbase to get ready to go to the Moon would be incredible.
