McALLEN, Texas (AP) — SpaceX is launching a new mission: making its Starbase site a new Texas city.
Billionaire Elon Musk 's company on Thursday sent a letter to local officials requesting an election to turn what it calls Starbase — the South Texas site where SpaceX builds and launches its massive Starship rockets — into an incorporated city. Residents of the area known as Starbase submitted the petition, according to the company.
The area is on the southern tip of Texas at Boca Chica Beach, near the Mexican border. Earlier this year, Musk announced he was moving the headquarters of SpaceX and his social media company X from California to Texas.
“To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community. That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley,” Kathryn Lueders, the general manager of Starbase, wrote in a letter to the county.
It's not the first time turning Starbase into its own city has been floated. Musk proposed the idea in 2021 when he wrote a social media post that simply said, “Creating the city of Starbase, Texas.”
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the county’s top elected official, said despite the talks of incorporation in 2021, this was the first time a petition was officially filed.
“Our legal and elections administration will review the petition, see whether or not it complied with all of the statutory requirements and then we’ll go from there," Treviño said on Thursday.
More than 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors work at the Starbase site, according to a local impact study issued by Trevino earlier this year.
SpaceX's rapid expansion in the region has drawn pushback from some locals. Earlier this year, a group called Save RGV sued the company in July over allegations of environmental violations and dumping polluted water into the nearby bay. SpaceX said in response that a state review found no environmental risks and called the lawsuit “frivolous.”
FILE - SpaceX's mega rocket Starship as it is prepared for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
FILE- SpaceX's mega rocket Starship prepares for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
SEATTLE (AP) — Michael Massey scored on Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals overcame a dominant 14-strikeout performance from Seattle starter Emerson Hancock to beat the Mariners 3-2 on Saturday night.
Massey began the inning as the automatic runner at second base, stole third, and then scored on Garcia’s flyball to center field off Cooper Criswell (1-1).
The Royals tied the game in the ninth against Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz, as Salvador Perez led off with a single. Pinch-runner Lane Thomas advanced to second on a balk, and scored on Jac Caglianone's single to center that got by Julio Rodriguez and went all the way to the wall.
The Mariners scored first when Josh Naylor drove Rodriguez home with an RBI single in the first, but the Royals tied it with back to back doubles from Kyle Isbel and Garcia in the third.
That was the only run the Royals got against Hancock, who allowed six hits and no walks over seven innings while setting a new career high in strikeouts. It was a dominant performance on a night the Mariners retired the number of arguably the most dominant pitcher in franchise history, Randy Johnson.
Leo Rivas gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead when he scored from third on a wild pitch by Seth Lugo in the fifth.
The Mariners wasted a prime scoring opportunity in the fifth, when Randy Arozarena lost track of the count, and was picked off first base to end the inning with the bases loaded.
Lugo allowed seven hits and two walks over six innings, with six strikeouts. Luinder Avila pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Royals.
Lucas Erceg retired the side in the 10th for his ninth save. Matt Strahm (1-0) got the win.
RHP Luis Castillo (0-2, 6.35 ERA) pitches Sunday for Seattle, against Royals LHP Kris Bubic (2-1, 3.74 ERA).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg reacts to earning the save in a win in 10 innings over the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Kansas City Royals' Lane Thomas scores on an RBI single from Jac Caglianone, who would advance to third base on a fielding error by Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez, during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez catches a fly ball from Kansas City Royals' Carter Jensen during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Kansas City Royals' Maikel Garcia hits an RBI sacrifice fly against the Seattle Mariners during the 10th inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey scores on an RBI sacrifice fly from Isaac Collins ahead of the throw to Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver during the 10th inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
