History of Starbase, Texas in Timeline

Starbase, Texas, formerly Boca Chica Village, is located in Cameron County near the Rio Grande's mouth. Founded in the late 1960s, its character has significantly changed since 2018 due to SpaceX's land acquisitions. Situated on the Boca Chica peninsula, it's 20 miles east of Brownsville and part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas. Positioned on Texas State Highway 4, south of South Bay lagoon and north of the Rio Grande's mouth. While Kopernik Shores is an older name, it is still used. The population as of 2025 is 500. Current construction includes a community center, school, clinic, and additional housing.

1967: Settlement Founded as Kennedy Shores

In 1967, the settlement was founded as Kennedy Shores by John Caputa, a Chicagoan property developer, initially targeting working-class Polish migrants.

1967: Hurricane Beulah Devastates Kennedy Shores

Later in 1967, Hurricane Beulah devastated the settlement of Kennedy Shores, destroying the restaurant and public utility systems.

1975: Village Renamed Kopernik Shores

In 1975, Stanley Piotrowicz renamed the village Kopernik Shores after Nicolaus Copernicus, but the state government denied its recognition as an incorporated community.

1990: Population of Kopernik Shores in 1990

In 1990, the population of Kopernik Shores was recorded at 26 people.

2000: Population of Kopernik Shores in 2000

In 2000, the population of Kopernik Shores remained at 26 people.

2008: Permanent Residents in 2008

In 2008, only six people were permanent residents of the village.

2012: SpaceX Considers Boca Chica for Launch Site

In 2012, SpaceX identified the Boca Chica area as a potential location for their future private commercial launch site and began purchasing land.

August 2014: SpaceX Announces Boca Chica Launch Site

In August 2014, SpaceX announced the selection of Boca Chica as the location for their South Texas Launch Site, with the control center within the village.

2014: Village Chosen for SpaceX Control Facility

In 2014, Boca Chica Village was selected as the location for the construction of a control facility for the SpaceX South Texas launch site.

2017: Decrease in Permanent Residents by 2017

By 2017, the number of permanent residents in Boca Chica Village had decreased to four people in two homes, with approximately 12 seasonal residents.

2018: Extensive Construction Activities Begin

Around 2018, more extensive construction activities began at the SpaceX South Texas Launch Site in Boca Chica.

2018: SpaceX Purchases Land and Changes to Village

In 2018, Boca Chica Village experienced significant changes as SpaceX began purchasing much of the village's land, marking a transformative period for the community.

2018: Boca Chica Described as a Sacrifice Zone

In 2018, the Boca Chica site was criticized as a 'sacrifice zone', with SpaceX acquiring villagers' homes under the threat of eminent domain.

August 2019: Resident Safety Measures During Testing

Starting in August 2019, Cameron County officials requested residents to stand outside their homes during propellant loading tests, due to potential dangers from shock waves.

September 2019: SpaceX Extends Purchase Offer to Residents

In September 2019, SpaceX offered to buy each house in Boca Chica Village for three times its fair market value, with VIP invitations to future launch events; the offer was initially valid for two weeks.

2019: Flight and Ground Testing Begins

In 2019, SpaceX initiated flight testing and frequent ground testing of prototype rocket vehicles and rocket engines at the Boca Chica site.

2019: SpaceX Purchase Offers to Residents

In 2019, SpaceX made initial purchase offers to residents of Boca Chica Village.

March 2020: Residents Move Away After Accepting Offers

By March 2020, many residents who had accepted purchase offers from SpaceX had moved away from Boca Chica Village.

October 2020: Remaining Residents in Boca Chica Village

As of October 2020, a small number of homeowners in Boca Chica Village had not accepted the 2019 offer from SpaceX and remained in the village.

March 2021: Musk Seeks to Incorporate Boca Chica into Starbase

In March 2021, Elon Musk announced his intention to incorporate Boca Chica Village into Starbase, Texas, requiring compliance with state incorporation statutes.

March 2021: Elon Musk Announces Plans for Starbase

In March 2021, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced plans to incorporate a new city called Starbase, Texas, including Boca Chica Village and the SpaceX facilities.

2021: Continued Starship Flight Testing

In 2021, flight testing of the SpaceX Starship with the Raptor rocket engine continued at the Boca Chica site.

May 2024: Doubts Over Starbase Name Proposal

At the May 2024 meeting of the Board's Domestic Names Committee, concerns were raised whether the proposed name Starbase violates the policy against recognizing names intended to promote a commercial enterprise.

May 2024: Cameron County Proposes Name Change to Starbase

In May 2024, Cameron County submitted a proposal to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to rename Kopernik Shores to Starbase.

July 2024: Starbase Name Change Proposal Publicly Posted

In July 2024, the proposal to rename Kopernik Shores to Starbase was publicly posted on the U.S. Board on Geographic Names website.

October 2024: Board Awaits Feedback on Starbase Proposal

As of October 2024, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names was awaiting feedback from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Texas Geographic Names Committee regarding the Starbase name change proposal.

May 3, 2025: Voters Approve Starbase Incorporation

On May 3, 2025, voters approved the formal incorporation of the city of Starbase through a municipal ballot measure.

May 20, 2025: Formal Incorporation of Starbase

On May 20, 2025, Starbase was formally incorporated, with Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice-president, serving as mayor, along with two other SpaceX-affiliated residents as commissioners.

2025: Starbase Population and Construction Projects

As of 2025, Starbase had a population of 500, with ongoing construction projects including a community center, school, clinic, and additional housing.