SpaceX's headquarters in Starbase, Texas, which sits at the state's southern tip in the Rio Grande Valley, emerges almost unexpectedly after miles of long, dusty dirt roads.
asserted
which → sit → roads
Before SpaceX arrived, the area was known primarily for its coastal wildlife, especially bird watching.
asserted
area → arrive → wildlife
Locals say there were a few dozen homes, mostly winter residences for retirees, while the nearest major city, Brownsville, is more than 20 miles away on the border with Matamoros, Mexico.
asserted
city → say → Matamoros
Its residents are largely transplants from cities like Austin and San Francisco who come not for the birds but for the work.
asserted
who → come → work
Brownsville's predominantly Latino population works mostly in farming and shrimping.
asserted
population → work → farming
Yet Starbase and Brownsville also share resources, with some SpaceX employees living in Brownsville, which has a population of roughly 192,000, and sending their children to school in the city.
asserted
which → share → city
SpaceX employ over 4,000 workers at its Starbase facilities, with roughly 70% coming from the local area, according to company records.
uncertain
% → employ → records
The company plans to nearly double that workforce to around 8,000 employees this year.
asserted
company → plan → employees
SpaceX's growth took a major leap forward on Friday when its shares went public in the
.
asserted
shares → take → the
The IPO instantly lifted the company's market value to more than $2 trillion and made SpaceX founder Elon Musk the first person to be .Marco
asserted
Musk → lift → trillion
Colorado, who owns El Buen Pescador restaurant in nearby Port Isabel, Texas, said SpaceX has been good for business, bringing employees from the company along with other visitors drawn to the area by the rocket launches.
asserted
SpaceX → own → launches
"Whenever there's a launch or an event going on, we get flooded," Colorado said.
asserted
Colorado → be → ?
He noted the SpaceX crowd is easy to spot — they often pull up in Tesla vehicles.
asserted
they → note → vehicles
At Double Day Bar of Champions, a restaurant and bar in nearby Port Isabel, Texas, that also hosts a sports paraphernalia museum, owner Mikael Hinojosa has seen a similar surge.
asserted
Hinojosa → host → surge
Hinojosa described the SpaceX-driven business as "a new type of tourism."
asserted
Hinojosa → describe → tourism
On rocket launch days, patrons gather on the patio to watch liftoffs, then move indoors to follow along on TV as the rockets tear through the sky.
asserted
rockets → gather → sky
"It's been positive for the business, but there's a downside to it.
asserted
It → be → it
In our museum, cannonballs fall over when there's a launch.
asserted
cannonballs → fall → museum
We don't want to ruin the tourism we already had," Hinojosa said.
asserted
Hinojosa → want → tourism
Others in Brownsville are more openly critical of the impact Starbase and SpaceX have had on the local community.
asserted
Starbase → have → community
Environmental activist group Save RGV (for Rio Grande Valley) contends the company's rocket launches have left nearby homes covered in debris, disrupted native wildlife and harmed air quality.
asserted
launches → contend → quality
Etienne Rosas, a Brownsville native who ran for Congress earlier this year in Texas's 34th district, also said SpaceX's growth has triggered a surge in housing prices throughout the Rio Grande Valley as employees bought homes.
asserted
employees → run → homes
In 2026, the average home price in Brownsville is $196,920, up nearly 75% from $112,705 in 2018, according to Zillow.
uncertain
price → accord → Zillow
"While SpaceX has created more economic momentum, there's been a huge gap widening in equality," he said.
asserted
he → create → equality
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
asserted
SpaceX → respond → comment
SpaceX's arrival has also reshaped downtown Brownsville, drawing new investment and development aimed at a tech-oriented demographic.
asserted
arrival → reshape → demographic
Yet Rosas said the jobs and investment have come at a cost to families who have lived in the region for generations.
asserted
who → say → generations
"Brownsville had a certain dynamic pace, and now that's gone," he said.
asserted
he → have → pace
The Aporia
