McAllen (Texas, USA), May 4 (LaPresse/AP) – Elon Musk's SpaceX headquarters in southern Texas is now an official city with a galactic name: Starbase. On Saturday, a vote to formally organize Starbase as a city was approved by an overwhelming margin by the small group of voters who live there, most of whom are Musk employees at SpaceX. With all votes cast, the tally was 212 in favor and 6 against, according to results posted online by the Cameron County Election Department. Musk celebrated with a post on his social media platform, X, saying, “It's a real town now!” Starbase is the facility and launch site for SpaceX's space program, contracted by the Department of Defense and NASA, which hopes to return astronauts to the moon and, one day, to Mars. Musk launched the idea for Starbase in 2021, and approval for the new city was virtually certain. Of the 283 eligible voters in the area, most are believed to be Starbase workers. The election victory was personal for Musk. The billionaire's popularity has declined since he became the public face of President Donald Trump, with his chainsaw, job cuts and public spending cuts, and profits at his car company Tesla have plummeted. SpaceX has generally received broad support from local officials for jobs and investment in the area. But the creation of an official corporate city has also attracted critics who fear it will expand Musk's personal control over the area, with the potential authority to close a popular beach and state park for launches.
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