Space X Starbase is shaping the Texas community around it
As of 2019, Elon Musk launched his Space X rocket from a remote point near the border between Texas and Mexico. As with many of Musk’s efforts, the launches drew many of his ardent followers to the state, but the company’s expansion also drove locals away.
The current, a new report from The Verge uncover the compelling reasons hardcore Musk fans are devoted to spending their lives and moving south. However, it also reveals the environmental and human costs of the ever-expanding space company.
According to reports, there is a spot called Rocket Ranch in Boca Chica, near the Texas border with Mexico. There, fans of Musk’s rocket company can gather together to watch test flights from Space X’s nearby Starbase site. From this vantage point, they can see the company grow right in front of their eyes.
An enthusiast The Verge spoke to Anthony Gomez, visited the site for the launch and quickly wanted to make the move permanent. Reporting website:
“Anthony’s brief visit to Rocket Ranch turned into an overnight stay, then a few days, then a week. It took long enough to convince him that he wanted to make the situation permanent. Anthony said: “I fell in love with this place. ‘So I just wanted to ask if there’s a way that I can somehow absorb myself into it’.
“He’s committed to getting his life sorted and moving to Boca Chica full-time.”
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This fierce following of Musk’s space exploration adventure sets the company apart from other more “traditional” engineering firms. But it’s not just some harmless space tourism at the workplace. The Verge report:
“Any doubt or criticism about SpaceX or Musk is met with backlash, and it really scares me when I see some replies to my tweets or even an article deemed outrageous. pessimistic.
“Being a woman adds another layer to the whole thing. Usually, there are a lot of men yelling at me online, calling me an asshole. I have mostly dismissed it as online behavior. But it was enough to make me hesitate to meet a real-life SpaceX fanatic.”
Despite the anxiety surrounding encounters with die-hard Space X fans, writer Loren Grush spent time at Rocket Ranch with Gomez and other enthusiasts. There, she discovered the reasons behind their unwavering support for the company, and why they were willing to dedicate their lives to it. She writes:
“I was fully prepared for an otherworldly experience at Rocket Ranch when I met Anthony Gomez, who was co-managing the property at the time.
Community vibe. Guests who are in the nearby airstreams will come in and out of the main building if they need something from the kitchen. Some were in town, like me, for Elon Musk’s latest Starship event; others live full-time at Rocket Ranch for the foreseeable future. People are buzzing in anticipation of Musk’s update.”
At the ranch, fans describe themselves as “outcasts” from other circles. In this little corner of Texas, “bookworms and dorks and mockers” have found a place where they can come together and share their excitement for Space X.
Grush talks to the accountants who gave up nine years old to oversee Space X, as well as a tech guru who now makes a living streaming the Starbase facility. It’s fascinating to hear about the types of people who have dedicated their lives to following the growth of the company.
But as well as bringing Musk followers to the region, the expansion of Space X has had a deeper impact on the surrounding area.
An explosion in the number of launches planned from the site may affect the protected environment. And, the locals who have spent their lives in the area are struggling to cope with the changes taking place.
Grush explained that the nearby Boca Chica Village “felt like this dark cloud” and that was unquestionable when speaking to Space X fans. There, locals spoke of the “nightmare.” when selling their assets to Musk’s company.
Residents said that “the company seemed to drop everything” when it started testing rockets at Starbase. Locals will get little or no warning ahead of some launches, before the company finally starts trying to buy people.
Despite a united front against trading, residents soon began to pour out of the village to be replaced by workers. The Verge report:
“Boca Chica Village now looks very different from before. The houses are mostly brown and beige bricks that have been redecorated, painted in white and black in the signature SpaceX style. Staff and executives have moved in. Even Elon Musk lived at one of the houses while he was at Starbase to oversee the operation. ”
The entire piece shows a fascinating coincidence with people searching for meaning through Musk’s efforts and individuals losing their sense of place as Space X expands.
I highly recommend going through The Verge to read the entire section, you can do it right here.