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America’s newest city took root on Saturday at the South Texas home of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket company.

The Associated Press reports a weekend vote of 212-6 resulted in the green light to organize the Starbase facility and launch site into the City of Starbase. Most of the voters were SpaceX employees, and their boss – who proposed the idea of turning Starbase into a standalone city four years ago – celebrated the vote on X by declaring Starbase is “now a real city!”

The Texas state legislature is currently considering bills that would move county authority over Starbase to the new entity’s mayor and city council. In 2024, Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders lobbied for city status by noting SpaceX was already managing its local roads and utilities along with “the provisions of schooling and medical care” for its residents.

Opponents to having a new city claimed a new locality would hamper access to Boca Chica State Park and Boca Chica Beach. But SpaceX officials said having the authority to close the beach during rocket launches would improve its operations.