SpaceX Starbase: SpaceX’s Starbase is a cutting-edge launch and testing facility pivotal to SpaceX’s ambitious space exploration goals. As the primary site for developing and testing the Starship rockets, Starbase includes advanced launch pads, manufacturing units, and testing areas. Starbase became a Texas city on May 20, 2025, after residents voted 212–6 on May 3 to incorporate, and SpaceX lists Starbase as its principal executive offices, consolidating the company’s operations in a business-friendly environment. SpaceX’s presence has become a major driver of the regional economy: a Cameron County impact study (reported November 2025) credits Starbase with more than $13 billion in South Texas economic impact over two years, and SpaceX reported 3,400 site workers in 2024 and $147 million spent with more than 350 regional suppliers (sources: Spectrum News; RGV Business Journal; NBC News; KRGV). This positions Starbase as a key player in future space missions, including planned crewed missions to Mars.