Down the two-lane Highway 4 near the U.S.-Mexico border, the Texas desert stretches for miles, but as you approach the coast, a growing number of Teslas hint at something more than just cacti and creatures. Located at the southern tip of Texas, Starbase is the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley, officially incorporated in May 2022. The area, which resembles an active construction zone, is home to SpaceX's Starship rocket, a project some call the most ambitious engineering endeavor of the 21st century. "We are slowly getting used to the changes, i.e., hearing a rocket launch and the booms," said Eddie Treviño Jr., Cameron County judge for the Rio Grande area. Treviño, who works directly with SpaceX, has witnessed the transformation of the city and the rocket's development. He explained how the project evolved. "The initial idea was this was gonna be a launch facility for the Falcon 9, and it would launch, you know, twice a month, and that was the intent, game plan was," Treviño said. "Several years back, SpaceX decided to change course and move Starship development from California to South Texas to Cameron County, Boca Chica Beach." The location seemed ideal, with the densely populated Brownsville about 20 miles away and Boca Chica Beach just steps from the site. SpaceX crews are working around the clock to expand Starbase, which is not just a rocket facility but the foundation of an entire city built around a spaceport. "A lot of people are not happy that it's here, but it's building a community, I think. It's bringing a lot of people here; more businesses are opening. There's always pluses and minuses with everything," said Ashley Andujo, whose husband is an engineer for SpaceX. Andujo and her family moved to the area in May 2022 from Los Angeles. "It's crazy. My husband actually builds them. So we love it. You know, it's cool to look up in the sky and see something that my husband built and something that my kid's dad built," she said. Starbase is not only a rocket factory but also a growing community. SpaceX offered buyouts to the small number of families who previously lived nearby and is now building condos close to the base. The area features a gated community with amenities such as restaurants, live music, a pool, a gym, a bar, and a grocery store. "They have a bunch of amenities there. They have a pool. They have a gym. They have a restaurant. A bar. A grocery store," Andujo said. The purpose of this mini-city is to have crews nearby to help realize Elon Musk's vision. Starship, a fully reusable giant rocket, is designed to carry humans and cargo to the moon and eventually Mars. Its reusability is expected to lower the cost of space travel and play a key role in NASA's Artemis missions. Starship began its first test flights in 2023, many of which ended in explosions. While such mishaps are common during initial testing, the remote desert location has proven suitable for these trials. However, not everyone agrees. "When these explosions happen, it's terrifying. It sounds like a bomb going off. My apartment shakes even though I live 20 miles away from the launch pad. The sonic boom is horrifying," said Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, who opposes the project. Starship is unlikely to launch from Florida's Space Coast until it achieves a completely successful launch, but it could be a critical component of future moon missions. For now, Starship remains a work in progress, but one thing is certain: it is already reshaping the future of space exploration and the community of Starbase, Texas.

Located at the southern tip of Texas, Starbase is the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley, officially incorporated in May 2022. The area, which resembles an active construction zone, is home to SpaceX's Starship rocket, a project some call the most ambitious engineering endeavor of the 21st century.

"We are slowly getting used to the changes, i.e., hearing a rocket launch and the booms," said Eddie Treviño Jr., Cameron County judge for the Rio Grande area.

Treviño, who works directly with SpaceX, has witnessed the transformation of the city and the rocket's development. He explained how the project evolved.

"The initial idea was this was gonna be a launch facility for the Falcon 9, and it would launch, you know, twice a month, and that was the intent, game plan was," Treviño said. "Several years back, SpaceX decided to change course and move Starship development from California to South Texas to Cameron County, Boca Chica Beach."

The location seemed ideal, with the densely populated Brownsville about 20 miles away and Boca Chica Beach just steps from the site.

SpaceX crews are working around the clock to expand Starbase, which is not just a rocket facility but the foundation of an entire city built around a spaceport.

"A lot of people are not happy that it's here, but it's building a community, I think. It's bringing a lot of people here; more businesses are opening. There's always pluses and minuses with everything," said Ashley Andujo, whose husband is an engineer for SpaceX.

Andujo and her family moved to the area in May 2022 from Los Angeles.

"It's crazy. My husband actually builds them. So we love it. You know, it's cool to look up in the sky and see something that my husband built and something that my kid's dad built," she said.

Starbase is not only a rocket factory but also a growing community. SpaceX offered buyouts to the small number of families who previously lived nearby and is now building condos close to the base. The area features a gated community with amenities such as restaurants, live music, a pool, a gym, a bar, and a grocery store.

"They have a bunch of amenities there. They have a pool. They have a gym. They have a restaurant. A bar. A grocery store," Andujo said.

The purpose of this mini-city is to have crews nearby to help realize Elon Musk's vision. Starship, a fully reusable giant rocket, is designed to carry humans and cargo to the moon and eventually Mars. Its reusability is expected to lower the cost of space travel and play a key role in NASA's Artemis missions.

Starship began its first test flights in 2023, many of which ended in explosions. While such mishaps are common during initial testing, the remote desert location has proven suitable for these trials. However, not everyone agrees.

"When these explosions happen, it's terrifying. It sounds like a bomb going off. My apartment shakes even though I live 20 miles away from the launch pad. The sonic boom is horrifying," said Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, who opposes the project.

Starship is unlikely to launch from Florida's Space Coast until it achieves a completely successful launch, but it could be a critical component of future moon missions.

For now, Starship remains a work in progress, but one thing is certain: it is already reshaping the future of space exploration and the community of Starbase, Texas.

What is Starship? SpaceX building in Texas and Florida for future space exploration, innovation