Exclusive: Starbase brings buzz and controversy to South Texas
WE ARE IN THE HEART OF SPACE TERRITORY IN TEXAS AS THE COMPANY DEALS WITH A NEW SETBACK INVOLVING ITS STARSHIP ROCKET, A NEW VERSION OF A BOOSTER FOR THE BIGGEST ROCKET EVER BUILT EXPLODED DURING TESTING. WESH TWO’S MEGAN MORIARTY WAS NEAR STARBASE WHEN IT HAPPENED. HELLO FROM STARBASE TEXAS, THE CITY THAT WASN’T EVEN RECOGNIZED UNTIL MAY OF THIS YEAR. THE AREA HAS BEEN CAPTURING NATIONAL HEADLINES FOR MANY REASONS. ON FRIDAY, SPACEX’S BOOSTER 18 SUFFERED AN ANOMALY ESSENTIALLY EXPLODING. THEY’RE STILL INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE, BUT WHILE THAT HAPPENS, STARBASE DOES NOT STOP THERE, STILL CONTINUING TO WORK TO MAKE STARSHIP A SUCCESS. IT’S ONE LANE IN AND ONE LANE OUT DRIVING TOWARDS BOCA CHICA BEACH, LOOKING OVER THIS PART OF THE VALLEY, YOU WON’T SEE MUCH AROUND YOU, BUT AS YOU INCH CLOSER AND CLOSER, YOU’LL SEE THE CRANES AND SEMI TRUCKS AND EVENTUALLY A PLETHORA OF CYBERTRUCKS. THAT’S WHEN YOU’LL KNOW YOU’RE IN STARBASE. THE CITY IS HOME TO SPACEX’S STARSHIP ROCKET THAT HAS BEEN MAKING HEADLINES FOR ITS LOFTY GOALS TO GET TO MARS AND ITS MULTIPLE EXPLOSIVE TEST FLIGHTS. IT DEFINITELY HAS BROUGHT A BUZZ TO THE ISLAND. JEANETTE GRIER JR. IS THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT FOR SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, JUST NORTH OF STARBASE, BUT SHE’S ORIGINALLY FROM BREVARD COUNTY, A PROUD MERRITT ISLAND HIGH MUSTANG CLASS OF 1983, SHE MOVED TO THE VALLEY 40 YEARS AGO. THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO THE ISLAND AFTER MOVING HERE FROM MERRITT ISLAND, AND I CAME ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY AND I WAS LIKE, I’M HOME, SHE SAYS. ANYTIME THERE’S A LAUNCH, THEY SEE AN INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND SALES AND HOTEL TAX. PEOPLE THAT ARE INTO SPACE ARE INTO SPACE. SO IF YOU CAN, IF YOU’RE A RESTAURANT AND YOU SAY, I’VE GOT A LUNCH, LUNCH OR, YOU KNOW, I’VE GOT THIS SPECIAL COCKTAIL THAT’S CALLED STARSHIP BOCA, CHICA BEACH IS PART OF A WILDLIFE CORRIDOR, BUT NOT EVERYONE WELCOMES THE MEGA ROCKET. BOCA HINOJOSA IS THE FOUNDER OF THE SOUTH TEXAS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE NETWORK IN BROWNSVILLE, RIGHT OUTSIDE STARBASE. SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE VALLEY. BROWNSVILLE IS ONE OF THE POOREST COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY. WE ARE A LOW INCOME, BROWN, LATINO COMMUNITY. SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS ONE OF THE RICHEST MEN IN THE WORLD, BLOWING UP ROCKETS IN A LOW INCOME BROWN COMMUNITY. OVERNIGHT TUESDAY, SPACEX TRANSPORTED ITS BOOSTER 18 TO MASSEY’S OUTPOST, WHERE IT STARTED PREFLIGHT TESTING DURING A GAS SYSTEM PRESSURE TEST. THE BOOSTER SUFFERED AN ANOMALY AND ESSENTIALLY EXPLODED. BOOSTER 18 IS THE FIRST SUPER HEAVY V3. THIS NEW DESIGN INCLUDES REDESIGNED PROPELLANT SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURAL ENHANCEMENTS. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? IT HELPS ADVANCE THE STARSHIP PROGRAM. IF SUCCESSFUL, IT CAN PROVE THE VIABILITY OF THE HARDWARE AND PAVE THE WAY FOR STARSHIP MISSIONS TO CARRY CARGO AND HUMANS TO THE MOON AND EVENTUALLY MARS. WE’RE DEALING WITH A NEW A NEW SPACESHIP, A NEW A NEW SPACEFLIGHT, A ROCKET. SO I THINK THOSE CONCERNS NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE BROUGHT UP RIGHT. BUT I DON’T THINK WE’RE AT THE POINT NOW THAT THERE’S ANY EVIDENCE THAT SPACEX IS NOT COMPLYING WITH WHAT THEY’VE SAID, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO IN THEIR IN THEIR PERMITTING APPLICATION. IT’S HARD TO MEASURE THE IMPACTS RIGHT NOW, BOTH GOOD AND BAD. BUT SPACEX CREWS CONTINUE TO WORK AROUND THE CLOCK DAY AND NIGHT TO MAKE THEIR GOALS A REALITY AND EVENTUALLY BRING THE VISION TO FLORIDA. IT’S UNCLEAR IF THIS DISRUPTION WILL IMPACT THEIR STARSHIP TEST FLIGHT 12, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY. AS FOR THE SPACE COAST, ELON MUSK WANTS TO START LAUNCHING STARSHIP LATE NEXT YEAR, BUT RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE NO OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATES ON THE BOOKS, AND IT’S STILL AWAITING FAA APPROVAL. WE’
Exclusive: Starbase brings buzz and controversy to South Texas
Updated: 9:26 PM EST Nov 21, 2025
It’s one lane in and one lane out. Driving towards Boca Chica Beach looks like a ghost town.As you inch closer and closer, you will begin to see cranes and semi trucks, and eventually a plethora of Cybertrucks. That’s when you’ll know, you’re in Starbase. The city is home to SpaceX’s Starship rocket. “It definitely has brought a buzz to the island,” Jeanette White Greider said.She’s the Chamber of Commerce President for South Padre Island, just north of Starbase. But Greider is originally from Brevard County, and she’s a proud Merritt Island High Mustang. She would have been a part of the graduating class of 1983, but moved to the valley 40 years ago at the end of her junior year.”The first time I came to the island after moving here from Merritt Island, I came across the causeway, and I’m like I’m home. I’m home,” Greider said. “It’s fun to watch other people’s experiences because they haven’t grown up with it like I have.” She said anytime there’s a launch, they see an increase in traffic and sales and hotel tax.”People that are into SpaceX are into SpaceX so if you’re a restaurant and you say you got a launch lunch or got some cocktail that’s called Starship,” Greider said.But, not everyone welcomes the mega-rocket.Bekah Hinjosa is the founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network in Brownsville, right outside Starbase. She was born and raised in the valley.”Brownville is one of the poorest communities in the country. We are a low-income Brown, Latina community. //butt// so what we have here is one of the richest men in the world blowing up rockets in a low-income brown community.”
STARBASE, Texas —
It’s one lane in and one lane out. Driving towards Boca Chica Beach looks like a ghost town.
As you inch closer and closer, you will begin to see cranes and semi trucks, and eventually a plethora of Cybertrucks. That’s when you’ll know, you’re in Starbase. The city is home to SpaceX’s Starship rocket.
“It definitely has brought a buzz to the island,” Jeanette White Greider said.
She’s the Chamber of Commerce President for South Padre Island, just north of Starbase. But Greider is originally from Brevard County, and she’s a proud Merritt Island High Mustang. She would have been a part of the graduating class of 1983, but moved to the valley 40 years ago at the end of her junior year.
“The first time I came to the island after moving here from Merritt Island, I came across the causeway, and I’m like I’m home. I’m home,” Greider said. “It’s fun to watch other people’s experiences because they haven’t grown up with it like I have.”
She said anytime there’s a launch, they see an increase in traffic and sales and hotel tax.
“People that are into SpaceX are into SpaceX so if you’re a restaurant and you say you got a launch lunch or got some cocktail that’s called Starship,” Greider said.
But, not everyone welcomes the mega-rocket.
Bekah Hinjosa is the founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network in Brownsville, right outside Starbase. She was born and raised in the valley.
“Brownville is one of the poorest communities in the country. We are a low-income Brown, Latina community. //butt// so what we have here is one of the richest men in the world blowing up rockets in a low-income brown community.”