visit starbase texas

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How To Visit Starbase

Perhaps the most watched place in the space industry, Starbase, is the home of SpaceX’s Starship development and testing. Ten of thousands have made the trek to the southern tip of Texas with one goal: seeing SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket in person from just a few feet away. However, even more have spent hours and days watching live-streams and looking at photos of Starbase dreaming of what it may be like there.

The purpose of this article, in companion to Everyday Astronaut’s video on YouTube, is to provide the most comprehensive rundown of Starbase; the “dos and don’ts”, the things that must be done, and tips and tricks on how to navigate Starbase safely and effectively. Here you will find all the information, but for those who prefer to read. It can also act as a quick reference when you arrive at Starbase one day.

Where And What Is Starbase?

Starbase, located very near to Boca Chica, can be found in the southern most part of the state of Texas, United States. Texas, which borders Mexico, is also home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, but that is much further north.

Starbase is where SpaceX has done the development, testing, tweaking, and blowing up of their next rocket, Starship, the worlds largest and most powerful rocket. The town where Starbase is located was originally called Kennedy Shores. After a hurricane it was renamed Kopernik Shores, and most recently known as Boca Chica. Brownsville is the nearest city to Starbase at about 32 km (20 miles). Compared to the 187,000 people in Brownsville, only a few homes remain in Boca Chica on the barren wildlife refuge.

South Padre Island and Port Isabel are the closest inhabitable areas, but it would take nearly twice as long to get there than to Brownsville. This is because they are on barrier islands with limited access.

In 2014, SpaceX began purchasing land in the area for what was originally Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy testing. Despite some ground work, the next four years remained fairly uneventful. In 2018, a stainless steel water tower, or so people thought, emerged on the flat landscape. This water tower came to be Starhopper, a Raptor engine testing vehicle.

Since the first high altitude flights in late-2020 to mid-2021 which began with SN8, SpaceX has put an increased focus on booster and orbital ship development. Because of the increased cadence, more infrastructure such as bays and tents have seen the site grow exponentially.

The location and ease of access to the Starbase surrounding area has enabled close watch of nearly every move SpaceX makes as they develop Starship. While SpaceX does not want to block access to Boca Chica Beach, there’s no guarantee how long the largely open and public access will last in light of safety concerns related to launches and landings. It’s safe to say that waiting might not be the best option.

Tour Of Starbase

There are three main locations around Starbase where the activity happens; the production site, the launch site, and the structural test site (formerly Massey’s Gun Range). The production site is where both the ship and booster are manufactured and produced. The launch site, as the name implies, is where rockets are launched in addition to where engine tests and some other tests are performed. The structural test site is where other testing occurs, however there is not much to see at the structural test site from the available viewing areas.

Production Site

As of publication, the production site has three distinguishable buildings that rise high above the rest. The Midbay, High Bay, and Mega Bay (Wide Bay), act as rocket houses. The High and Mega Bays both have cranes on the top that allow large pieces of the rockets to be lifted into place and stacked on top of one another. A new building is currently being built called “Starfactory”, which will replace the three temporary production tents.

Near to the Mega Bay is a group of rockets, either used and retired, or never flown. This area is commonly referred to as the “Rocket Garden”. The vehicles in the Rocket Garden change very frequently as they are retired, scrapped, or held until testing.

Also located in that area is an Air Separator Unit (ASU) that can generate oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. This is also where some large shipments are received and where some heavy lifting equipment lies. In front of all of this is the gigantic and iconic “S T A R B A S E” sign.

These approximately 2.5 m (8 ft) tall illuminated letters are the first thing visible from the side of the road. It is a very popular space to stop and take photos, especially at night when the sign is illuminated. You can easily park on the rocks in front of the sign to hop out and take a photo.

In addition to these are the buildings that have been there since the beginning. Originally built by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Stargate, is now owned by SpaceX and acts as their launch control. The building is an office building with space for desks and computers, meeting rooms, and other spaces where an old Merlin and Raptor engine can be found.

Further down the road toward the ocean is the solar farm. Next to the solar farm are two tracking dishes that were purchased from NASA. Behind that is Boca Chica Village, which mostly includes houses owned by SpaceX to house employees.

On the corner, before the long road to the launch pad, is a private restaurant. The outside seating area is covered in flaps from the Mk 1 Starship prototype. Only employees are able to eat here and at the adjacent food trucks. Across the street is a large building known as the payload processing facility, which is currently used for Starlink, but could be used for other payloads in the future.

Launch Site

After traveling down the nearly three kilometer (two miles) barren stretch of road, the launch site quickly fills the landscape. The launch site consists of three launch pads, two suborbital pads and one orbital pad.

Before arriving at the launch site, pulling off the road before it curves gives the unique view of Suborbital Pad A, on the right, and Suborbital Pad B, on the left. The black and white tanks are the Suborbital Tank Farm and house the propellants for both pads.

Traveling further down the road leads to an up close view of Starhopper, the first vehicle to take flight in south Texas. It has now been repurposed to host radar equipment, cameras, and speakers to provide announcements at the pad. The main gate is shortly after that and provides a sometimes unobstructed view of the Orbital Launch Table. This is where nearly everything goes in and out of the launch site.

The Orbital Launch Pad is the table and the very large 120 m (400 ft) tall tower with chopstick arms on it. This is where fully assembled and stacked Starship/SuperHeavy rockets will launch from. Next to the Orbital Launch Pad are eight cylinders which together make the Orbital Tank Farm. Some of these house water, while others house the propellants, oxygen and methane.

Where And Where NOT To Go At Starbase

The number one rule comes as an obvious one: wherever there is a sign indicating SpaceX property, don’t go past it. Roads are public and the land just off the road is generally public too. SpaceX property is almost always clearly indicated.

To play it safe, anytime you’re stopping to look, always park on the opposite side of the road from SpaceX property. For example, at the production site, park on the south side of the road and do not cross the road by foot. It’s important to remember that Highway 4 is a highway and has fast moving cars, so be careful pulling off, merging, and navigating the side of the roadway.

Remedios Ave gives the closest access to any rockets. By parking on Highway 4 and walking down to the Rocket Garden, you can get very close to whatever rockets may be there. As of publication, Remedios is still a public road. However, this may not last long, so be sure to check any signs before proceeding.

Any parking on SpaceX property and around the restaurant are not for public parking and reserved for employees. At the launch site, there is also a parking lot, but again for employees only. Pulling off on the side of the road opposite SpaceX property (the north side) is allowed.

However, areas near the beach can become hazardous very quickly. The sand level and depth can change daily leaving dozens of cars stuck. Only drive down the beach if your vehicle has all-wheel drive and tires that can handle deep sand. Another option is to park on the side of the road before the beach and walk up and down the beach to get new angles of the launch site.

On launch day, there is a large area around the entirety of Boca Chica Beach, Starbase, and Highway 4 called the exclusion zone or “keep out zone”. Nobody from the general public is allowed in this area during alunch preparations and activities. There are also designated spots on the water in the channel for mariners to watch the launch from.

Rules, Tips, And What To Bring

In this case, it could be helpful to think of Starbase as a desert with very little to no amenities around. There are no public restrooms or gas stations to fill up on snacks and water. Before leaving for Starbase, take the time to stop at a gas station and get everything listed below.

• Lots of water and food
• Hat, Sunglasses

Hydration is key, but that does not mean just drinking water while at Starbase. Before heading out the day before, ensure you drink plenty of water to maintain hydration.

General Rules

While some rules may sound like common sense, others may come as a surprise. It’s important to follow these rules closely to stay out of trouble and make it so others can get this close to the worlds biggest and most powerful rocket too.

• Don’t litter
• No crossing the river into Mexico. Matamoros is dangerous.

Overall a simple list to follow, but serious consequences can result otherwise. Starbase can be a fun place when safety and health are put first. The rockets do not need sunscreen.

Watching A Launch

Unlike Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Starbase has only been around in recent history and has never seen an orbital launch. This means that the infrastructure for the public to watch launches from Starbase is largely non-existent. An important note is that Highway 4 is completely closed on the day of a launch, so no members of the public will be able to travel down on launch day.

The only exception to this is Rocket Ranch . Rocket Ranch has a ranch where guests can stay in little Airstreams or their own RVs. They have an outpost further down Highway 4 that provides the closest viewing possible, however they are currently sold out of these tickets for the first Orbital Flight Test.

The next closest place is Isla Blanca Park on the southern tip of South Padre Island. To enter, they charge $12 cash, exact change not necessary. This can and will get very crowded on launch day, so it’s best to arrive a little early. Only a certain number of cars are allowed per day, but there is public parking at the Visitors Center and other spots further north.

Port Isabel is another spot to watch from. It is located before crossing the bridge on South Padre Island. The bridge itself is NOT a viewing location. There are very few direct views of the pad from Port Isabel due to the private residences in gated communities.

However, on Highway 48, which is the road to Port Isabel/South Padre Island, there are a few pull off spots like the Jamie J Zapata boat ramp. A reminder, Mexico is not an option due to the dangerous nature of Matamoros.

What To Bring

In general, it’s smart to envision any of these viewing locations just like Starbase. It will be just as hot and humid and the same precautions still exist. Sunscreen is a must and an umbrella may be beneficial to provide shade will be beneficial. Bathrooms will generally be closer, but due to the number of people trying to see a launch, the lines can be long and you may be at risk of losing your viewing spot.

A camera with a telephoto lens or binoculars are also good items to help with viewing. Starship/SuperHeavy will not leave a contrail, so it will mainly be visible as a large silver tube flying through the sky. While binoculars are not necessary, they could help enhance your viewing experiance.

How To Get To Starbase

This section will discuss how to get to Starbase by ground. Flying is covered in the next section and can be more complicated than driving. The best, and nearly only, way to get to Starbase is in a personal vehicle, either a rental car or your own car. Utilization of a GPS would be helpful here; just typing in “Starbase”, “Boca Chica Beach”, or “Boca Chica” should result in the same path as there is only one way to get there.

A specific address would be 1 LBJ Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78521, which is the restaurant. Although it’s not open to the public, it is an address to navigate to. It is possible to use a rideshare option like Uber or Lyft, but drivers are scarce and, once out there, getting between the launch site and production site is difficult. Additionally, the cost of the long drive might end up costing more than renting a car.

Border Checkpoint

While trekking out to Starbase, shortly after leaving Brownsville city limits, is a border check point. Although there is no border crossing at the checkpoint, due to the proximity to the border and the shallow depth of the Rio Grande near the beach, the United States Border Patrol keeps a station there.

Going out to Starbase, a stop will not be necessary. However, when returning to Brownsville from Starbase every vehicle will be stopped and questioned. The questions are generally very simple, “Are you a U.S. citizen?” and “Is there anyone else in the vehicle?” Answer these honestly and you will be sent on your way without problem. If there is a shift change at Starbase, the line will get very backed up. So in the morning and afternoon, keep this in mind.

For U.S. citizens, a drivers license will act as a form of ID. International travelers should have travel documents and their passport. The border patrol officers do not always ask for documentation, but will on occasion.

Flying To Starbase

There are three main airports that all provide good options for flying into south Texas and then driving to Brownsville. Some are easier and cheaper to get to than others, but may be further away.

BRO, or Brownsville, is the closest option and is relatively near to Starbase given it’s location on the outskirts of Brownsville. As of publication, you must either first fly to Dallas or Houston and get a connecting flight to Brownsville. In May of 2023, Avelo Airlines will offer direct flights to Brownsville from Orlando and Los Angeles.

HRL, or Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas, is also a good option, but requires a bit more of a drive, about an hour to Starbase. Depending on demand, HRL can be cheaper and have more rental car options.

MFE, or McAllen International Airport in McAllen, Texas, is about to an hour and a half from Starbase. Generally, MFE shares similar options and availability to HRL, but it’s an option nonetheless.

Flying from oversees might mean spending more time in Texas. In this case, it may be possible to save money and drive from a city like Austin, San Antonio, or Houston. Houston, of course, is where Johnson Space Center is located. Visitors can spend a day at Space Center Houston, which has interactive activities and a great museum.

Do not rely on rental cars being available at Brownsville or some of the airports in the Rio Grande Valley, so check carefully, especially around times of peak travel.

Where To Stay

There are numerous options for places to stay depending on the type of traveler you are. Some types include campers, luxury, adventure seekers, budget, and families. During times of peak travel and lots of activity, some options may be more available than others.

South Padre Island/Port Isabel

South Padre Island, or SPI, has a host of good options for those who want to see rockets, but also make a vacation in south Texas. SPI is host to a variety of restaurants, hotel options, and adventure experiences like dolphin tours. The dolphin tours are a good way to see the launch site from a unique perspective.

Margaritaville, formerly known as “The Pearl”, is a good option to have a pool, beach access, and a potential view of the rocket. The rooms are spacious and can accommodate a family easily. In order to have a good view of launch, getting a room on the south side about five floors up or higher is best. This is where Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, livestreamed SN8 and SN9 from!

Holiday Inn is a similar option to Margaritaville in terms of rooms and amenities, but does not offer balconies to view the pad from. Its proximity to the bridge enables easy access to the mainland and avoids a lot of the northern island congestion.

Hilton Garden Inn is located much further up north on the island and also does not have a good view of the launch pad. However, it offers great amenities and was recently renovated.

Lighthouse Cafe and Hotel in downtown Port Isabel is also a good option. It avoids the bridge, which means less traffic. The hotel also offers gelato and snacks and is within good walking distance from local and chain restaurants.

Casa Rosa Inn is another option in the Port Isabel area. Alternatives to this are AirBnBs and other spots for rent, so keep looking if these hotel options don’t suit you perfectly.

Those who enjoy camping can try and secure a spot at Isla Blanca Park on the southern tip of SPI.

Brownsville

Brownsville is home to most major hotel brands, but a lot of them are located on the highway and too far to walk to restaurants. They are, however, closer to Starbase by about 20 to 30 minutes. Generally, these hotels are cheaper than what can be found on SPI.

Rocket Ranch

Rocket Ranch is about as close as possible for anyone from the public to stay. There are small campers for individuals and they also offer spots for people with RVs to park and stay. Above all, the community at Rocket Ranch is full of more rocket loving people and will be a great welcome to south Texas. So far, they have hosted thousands of people and even more have booked stays.

In addition to a place to stay, they also offer bus tours to Starbase. These tours have been operating for a while, and will provide rich knowledge and history of Starbase.

When To Book Your Trip

Timing is everything and timing with a rocket test program is nearly impossible. Even SpaceX sometimes does not know when they will launch until just a week before. Generally, trying to book as close to a launch as possible is best.

Sometimes, booking less than five days in advance will yield the best results, but sometimes that is not possible. Oftentimes these launches will see many delays before actually flying, so it might be best to book for a week and be prepared to stay longer if that’s possible.

There is no exact answer for when to book, but it’s best to wait until as late as possible and be prepared to change dates. Read hotel and flight cancellation policies closely before booking.

Indicators of a launch could be FAA and FCC Licensing, road closures, beach closures, Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), maritime notices, and of course, an official statement from SpaceX. All of the latest can be found in Everyday Astronaut’s live updates article .

Where To Eat

South Padre Island and Port Isable have a variety of eating options from fresh sea food, to vegetarian, to acai, and even Starbase themed resturants. Each recommendation below is linked to their site which has more information.

• Ceviche Ceviche
• Russo’s Pizza
• Berry Divine on SPI and Beach Bowls on Port Isabel
• Hopper Haus

The proximity to Mexico means that there is an abundance of tacos. There are many local restaurants in Brownsville that sell local taco styles, like street tacos. Additionally, like SPI, there are nmerous types of resturants with different price points. There are also typical fast food chains on every corner, so if you are looking for something familiar, it is there.

• Ultima Taco
• La Villa Taqueria y Yogufrut
• Veggie Del Sol
• Terra’s Urban Kitchen
• Dodici Pizza

What Else Besides Starbase?

Before Starbase, South Padre Island was a popular vacation spot. The beach that runs along the island is great for typical beach activities, especially surfing. For surfing lessons, South Padre Surf Company has a local staff that are great instructors. Different parts of the island have different severity of waves, which makes it appealing to all skill levels.

Additionally, there are dolphin tours on both SPI and Port Isabel that will venture out into the channel and ocean to see dolphins leap from the water.

Also on the island is Gravity Park , an amusement part that features Go-Karts and other rides. Fishing and bird watch tours and boats are very common and leave from Port Isabel/SPI.

STARSociety hosts many stargazing events and STEM events for kids.

The Art Lounge on SPI has space themed art including a piece from Inspiration 4 Astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor .

Located in Brownsville is Gladys Porter Zoo , which has bike trails and coffee.

Overall, this article gives the most comprehensive overview of Starbase, how to visit, how to get there, and what to do there. Bookmark this tab so you can reference it when you make it down there! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or email the author.

Great content, thanks Tim!

Boca Chica Starbase looks rather haphazardly designed, without much forethought of master planning. Thats sad and very inefficient, since poor design always has much higher costs and greater redundancy. Even the Starship design looks overly simplistic and wastes on functionality minimalist design approach. Maybe this is just prioritized stuff to get the buzz lighted.

Great job perfect timing thank you!

do u like taylor swift?

Thanks Tim. You provide a valuable service to both novice and expert alike. Good luck on your upcoming adventure.

Awesome overview Tim! I called Rocket Ranch, and they have 11 acres for camping, so that seems to be always available if you bring your own tent. And they have beer and restrooms 🙂

Hay Tim, you didn’t mention phone or internet coverage about Starbase and SPI, how is that??

A great topic for a deep dive would be safety of SH/ST launch to the public. You mentioned some viewing zones at about 5 miles from the launch pad, the size of the exclusion zone radius. Interview someone not from from SpaceX with expertise on rocket launch exclusion zones on the safety of the SH/ST launch. Five miles is likely not to be adequate if there is an explosion.

Also, the Mexican border is inside this safety zone. If Mexican citizens are injured by a SH/ST explosion SpaceX could create an international incident.

Robert Clark

Please remove if not allowed, but my husband and I rent a condo on SPI -> https://www.vrbo.com/1406811 It’s centrally located close to restaurants, bars and fun activities. It’s a 10 minute drive to Channel View Rd to see the launchpad from the bottom of SPI!

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Having Fun in the Texas Sun

Family friendly Texas Destinations

A Visit to SpaceX Starbase on Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville

One of the most exciting things happening on South Padre Island is viewing of the SpaceX Rocket Starship, which is being built for expeditions to the planet Mars! While we didn’t get to watch a test launch, it was so much fun just to see it up close!

From South Padre Island, drive down to Isla Blanca Park , which is $12/day entrance fee, and you can see the rocket across the channel! Bring a good pair of binoculars for a great view. If you happen to arrive during a launch, this is one of the best places to safely watch! Isla Blanca Park is also a great place to fish, play on the beach, or watch the kite surfing on windy days! From the jetties, you can spot dolphins and sea turtles in the water!

For a much closer view of the rockets, it’s about an hour drive around the Brownsville Shipping Port to Boca Chica Beach and SpaceX! During test launches the roads are closed, and it happens frequently, so you’ll want to check before you go. Two of my favorite resources are the SpaceX Front Page and SpaceX Boca Chica Group , both on facebook.

At Starbase, there are several rockets you can see. Ample parking allows you to get out and walk around, although there aren’t tours and you’re not allowed on their property, but they are close enough to the road for you to get a good view. They do not offer tours.

Here’s another website I really enjoyed reading up on about the Mission to Mars, from NASA. It’s really interesting. Live launches are also streamed on YouTube NASASpaceflight .

We had a lot of fun just playing around with pictures.

No surprise, but use of drones is not allowed. We were hoping that we could use our new toy but it was very windy, also.

Not everyone loves SpaceX’s presence in South Texas, including some of the long-time residents that once lived in the Boca Chica neighborhood. SpaceX purchased most of the established homes as residence for employees, and has brought in fleets of airstream campers in a master-planned park. Wildlife and ecological debates also remain a hot button for Space X, as the area is a major thoroughfare for migrating birds and the beach is a nesting site for sea turtles in the Summer, when lights can be disruptive.

Admission to Boca Chica Beach is free, and it’s a great beach with few crowds. The only entrance is past Space X, so if they have the roads closed, so is access to the beach. The jettys on Boca Chica Beach are about a mile or more north from the entrance to the beach, and it really should only be attempted with a four-wheel drive vehicle. We witnessed plenty of cars and trucks stuck along the beach and at the deep sand at the entrance. You’re probably not going to get a wrecker out, so it’s hoping for someone with a chain to come along and pull you out if you get stuck. Even with a four-wheel drive SUV, we carry traction mats because I’ve spent too many nights stuck in the sand.

Planning a day at the beach? Here’s a tip, pack a lunch because it’s miles back to town for food or drinks. It’s also a primitive beach, so no restrooms, changing areas or showers. We enjoyed playing with our dogs on the beach, with no one else in sight, however it’s not an off-leash beach, and dogs are required to be leashed. A strong south wind gave us some huge waves, and made for a great day flying kites. Even on Dec. 31st, the water felt good!

If you take a right on the sand at the entrance to Boca Chica Beach, and drive down about 2.5 miles, you’ll come to the Rio Grande, with Mexico just on the other side of the narrow, muddy river.

You’ll see a lot of references to Boca Chica State Park on maps, but there isn’t a state park here, just miles of beach.

The view of South Padre Island from Boca Chica Jetty.

On the way back, stop off at the Sabal Palm Sanctuary , one of the most interesting preserves in the state. In addition to a jungle of old growth sabal palms, you can tour the 1892 Rabb Plantation, which even rents a room for overnight guest. 3 miles of trails leads you down to the Rio Grande River.

Rocket Ranch is an RV Park with cabins located just 8 miles from Starbase, with pontoon boats for viewing the launches.

Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!

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Welcome to Boca Chica, the Tiny Texas Town Where SpaceX is Building its Starship

A tiny community on texas' southernmost tip has become a prime destination for the spaceflight faithful..

The last thing the residents of Boca Chica expected were the spaceships. Hurricanes, yes. Border walls, maybe. But the gleaming metal rockets that began hurling themselves into the sky atop pillars of flame were unexpected, to say the least.

When Elon Musk announced that his aerospace company, SpaceX, was considering the small coastal village as a potential location for their facilities in 2013, Boca Chica was a sleepy backwater at Texas’ southern tip. Today, an interplanetary spaceship is being built just down the road.

And, along with SpaceX came a glut of aerospace geeks, rocket enthusiasts and SpaceX fans. Some drive from Brownsville, the nearest city up the coast, or farther afield, while legions more tune in to the round-the-clock webcams broadcasting the company’s actions. To support our burgeoning obsession with the minutiae of spaceflight, a cottage industry of homegrown SpaceX observers has sprung up in this retirement paradise. They’re drawn by a simple, shared mission: to watch the future unfold.

Sun, Sand and Spaceships

Austin Barnard, a college sophomore in Brownsville, drives the 45 minutes to the SpaceX facilities multiple times a week. He regularly posts photos from Boca Chica to his more than 11,000 Twitter followers, informing the world about the progress of a future interplanetary spaceship.

Bernard hasn’t always been a SpaceX “fanboy,” as he calls himself. He stumbled upon SpaceX videos online after a rough time in his life, and his Boca Chica observations soon followed.

Barnard began driving to the SpaceX facility with his phone after a few friends told him there was something going on there. He posted a few pictures to Twitter, and soon had thousands of SpaceX fans following him.

“I had a whole bunch of fans before really even starting my Twitter account,” Barnard says.

He now runs one of the most prominent Twitter accounts documenting events in Boca Chica. His Twitter account even landed him some one-on-one time with Musk at the latest Starship update.

A perennial favorite is SpaceX’s biggest, shiniest craft to date: Starship. First announced in 2017 as the BFR, or Big Falcon Rocket, it may be the rocket that will eventually take humans to Mars. Sleek illustrations show the rocket landing vertically on the Red Planet, off-planet colonies agleam in the distance.

The futuristic craft has begun to take shape only recently, though. For a long time, Barnard was posting pictures of what looked like a big metal silo in the middle of nowhere.

For Rachel Gore, the excitement began when she found out SpaceX had chosen Boca Chica as a launch facility. Gore, an administrator for the tourist website SPadre.com, already had webcams set up for locals and tourists to monitor surf and fishing conditions. Now, the site has a dedicated webcam focused on developments in Boca Chica to cater to those visiting with interstellar dreams.

“Obviously, SpaceX is the biggest thing to ever come to the area and the addition of space tourism is going to be great for the island economy,” Gore said.

In addition to the webcams, Gore makes the trip out to the SpaceX facilities several times a week with her husband, Gene. She’s especially attentive when things are progressing quickly, like when Starship was transported to the launch site in in preparation for testing.

Their photos and updates end up on the SPadre.com-affiliated Twitter account , where they stir excitement among the SpaceX faithful. The webcam was extremely popular on the day that the lower and upper sections of the Starship prototype were welded together. Thousands of fans watched as the spaceship’s body took shape.

Creating a Community

It’s evident on Twitter that there’s a bond between the SpaceX watchers in Boca Chica. People retweet photos and alert each other if they notice any additions to the spacecraft. Some of them run into each other at the SpaceX site.

“They’re basically my alarm clock,” Barnard says of his followers. Many of them keep their eyes on the live webcams, including SPadre.com’s, and try to alert Barnard if something major is happening on the grounds.

Gore also says she’s become familiar with many of her fellow SpaceX fans.

“We have become close friends with many of the supporters and enjoy hanging out and sharing in the excitement,” said Gore. “We really enjoy all of the conversations and support we have had from SpaceX followers, both in person and on social media.”

Barnard often sees tourists around Boca Chica, including fans from abroad. Not satisfied with a webcam, international fans have begun traveling to this tiny Texas town to see the beginning stages of SpaceX’s flagship rocket for themselves. But their access may soon be limited.

The Future of Boca Chica 

While SpaceX’s arrival in Boca Chica brings tantalizing possibilities for the private spaceflight industry, it’s thrown the town’s own future into jeopardy. Rocket launches are inherently dangerous, and as Musk’s ambitions put more and more rockets into the air, it could threaten the safety of the residents of Boca Chica. The SpaceX CEO offered a solution recently, though not all the residents are happy about it.

"Probably, over time, [it’s] better to buy out the village and we’ve made an offer to that effect,” Musk said during a press briefing in September.

Each resident of Boca Chica received a private buyout offer in the mail, according to Business Insider . But a buyout could mean residents would be forced to leave their homes . Homeowners were offered up to three times their property value and VIP viewing for future launches on the Texas coast. Some residents told Business Insider they’ll take the offer; others are fighting it.

Not only will this affect those living in the town, but Barnard says it will make it more difficult for him and fellow SpaceX watchers to view launches. They may have to move to South Padre Island, more than twice as far away from the launch pad as Boca Chica.

But even if they do, Barnard, Gore and their fellow SpaceX faithful will still be on the front lines of the modern-day space race. What’s more, they’ll be sharing it with all of us, allowing space enthusiasts the world over to join in the excitement. One day, they may even be showing us the first human mission to Mars.

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Starbase Tours

Rocket Ranch gets you as close as possible to SpaceX's Starship SuperHeavy prototype rocket production facility, and the orbital launch mount in Starbase, Texas.   For a limited time, you can view the ship that will help humanity become a multi-planet species.  A quest to return to the Moon, reach Mars and beyond.  Happening right here in Brownsville Texas

Our mission is to offer extraordinary and unique travel experiences that inspire wonder and connection to the space-loving community.  We strive to create unparalleled tour experiences that will leave our guests with memories that last a lifetime.  We are dedicated to providing exceptional service, safety, and comfort while promoting sustainable tourism practices for the benefit of the community and the local environment we visit.

Our vision is to create a world where space travel is accessible and commonplace for everyone, where humanity can explore and discover the vastness of the universe, and where our Starbase serves as a hub for space exploration and research.  We envision a future where our guests can experience the thrill of space travel while enjoying comfortable amenities and unparalleled service.  We see ourselves as a leader in the space tourism industry, pushing the boundaries of what's possible and inspiring future generations to dream big and reach for the stars.

SPACE X BROWNSVILLE

Newspace city, the space era for brownsville, the spacex south texas launch site is located near boca chica beach, approximately 32 km east of downtown brownsville (or less than 10 miles from brownsville city limits). when conceptualized, its purpose was "to provide spacex an exclusive launch site that would allow the company to accommodate its launch manifest and meet tight launch windows." the launch site was initially intended to support launches of the falcon 9 and falcon heavy launch vehicles and "a variety of reusable suborbital launch vehicles." still, in 2018, spacex announced a change of plans, stating that the launch site would be used exclusively for spacex's next-generation launch vehicle, starship..

BOCA CHICA BEACH

The spacex south texas launch site, also known as boca chica launch site, is a private rocket production facility, test site, and spaceport constructed by spacex right on the doorstep of brownsville, texas., find more information on boca chica beach closures and spacex launches..

SpaceX Brownsville

Starship | sn15.

On Wednesday, May 5, the SpaceX team successfully attempted a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 15 (SN15) – our fifth high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype from Starbase in Texas.

SN15 has vehicle improvements across structures, avionics, software, and engines that will allow more speed and efficiency throughout production and flight: specifically, a newly enhanced avionics suite, updated propellant architecture in the aft skirt, and a new Raptor engine design and configuration.

Starship | SN11

Similar to previous high-altitude flight tests of Starship, SN11 will be powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence before the vehicle reaches approximately 10 km in altitude. SN11 will perform a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and controlled aerodynamic descent.

Starship | SN10

On Wednesday, March 3, Starship serial number (SN10) completed SpaceX’s third high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype from our site in Cameron County, Texas.

Similar to the high-altitude flight tests of Starship SN8 and SN9, SN10 was powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence before the vehicle reached apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN10 performed a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and controlled aerodynamic descent.

Starship | SN9

High-Altitude Flight Recap

Starship | sn8.

Starhopper test flight in Brownsville, Texas

Starhopper test.

Starship is the fully reusable spacecraft and the second stage of the Starship  system. It offers an integrated payload section and is capable of carrying passengers and cargo to Earth orbit, planetary destinations, and between destinations on Earth.

Starship is currently being tested at Space X Brownsville. 

The City of Brownsville, Visit BTX and BTV present the 2nd Annual Give Me Some Space Celebration!

In honor of national space day, we will be hosting a series of panels, video live-streams, events and activities. check the give me some space 2021 series..

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Trump hush money trial

University protests

SpaceX launches Starship rocket on third test flight

By Jackie Wattles and Adrienne Vogt , CNN

All about Starbase, SpaceX's South Texas launch site

Starbase lies just steps from Boca Chica Beach, the strip of coastline on the Gulf of Mexico that lies at the southernmost tip of Texas.

One road runs in and out of the area: A narrow stretch of asphalt called Boca Chica Highway. The westbound lane includes a US Border Patrol checkpoint.

Before SpaceX moved in, there were only a couple dozen homes nearby in an area called Boca Chica Village.

Most longtime residents have since been pushed out. SpaceX has purchased and painted many of the homes, allowing employees to move in.

And the company's presence has only grown from there : Rows of airstream trailers provide temporary housing for workers. A small restaurant for employees lies just off the road. And there are colossal buildings and work yards with scraps of rocket bodies lying about.

Some locals are angered to see their once remote beach community overrun by SpaceX employees and rocket construction.

And SpaceX once again drew the ire of environmentalists when the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission voted to move forward with negotiating a land-swap agreement . The agreement would transfer control of 43 acres of public land near SpaceX's facilities over to the company. As part of the deal, the commission will also gain 477 acres near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

SpaceX plans to launch its massive Starship rocket Thursday morning

From CNN's Kristin Fisher

SpaceX is set to attempt to launch the third flight test of Starship, the most powerful rocket in the world and a critical component of NASA Artemis program.  

The company says the launch window will open at 7 a.m. CT (8 a.m. ET) Thursday and close at 8:50 a.m. CT (9:50 a.m. ET). The first two flight tests ended in explosions, or “Rapid Unscheduled Disassemblies” as SpaceX calls it.  

The Federal Aviation Administration completed its mishap investigation into the second test flight in February and an environmental assessment of the new splashdown site for the third test flight on Wednesday, a day before the targeted launch date.  

That environmental assessment cleared the way for the FAA to issue a launch license to Space X on Wednesday evening, saying in a statement the company "met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements,”

Previous Starship test flights were slated to splash down near Hawaii, but this third attempt will be targeting the Indian Ocean. 

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Starbase Texas Map | Guide to Starbase | Starbase for Beginners

Starbase texas map, guide to spacex's south texas starship facility, quick links, the starship program, the build site at starbase, the spacex starfactory, the high bay and mega bays, stargate building, the sanchez site at starbase, the spacex rocket garden.

• Staging Area and Storage
• Future Propellant Plant?

The Massey’s Site at Starbase

Starbase testing operations, spacex mission control, ad astra school.

• The Town of Boca Chica

The Village at Starbase

Mars pathfinder airstream parks.

• Other Facilities

The Launch Site at Starbase

Orbital launch integration tower.

• The Chopsticks / “Mechazilla”

Orbital Launch Mount

The quick disconnect arm.

• Water Deluge System

Second Orbital Launch Tower

• Self-Propelled Modular Transports
• And Much More Coming Soon...

Updated Maps of Starbase Texas

Starbase, located near Brownsville in South Texas, has emerged as a focal point for modern space exploration. Initially a quiet, remote area near the border of Mexico, Starbase has transformed into a bustling hub of innovation, spearheaded by SpaceX's vision to colonize Mars. In just a few short years, Starbase has grown to be the most advanced rocketry facility in the history of the world.

"Life at Starbase" Hype Video. Video Credit:  SpaceX

It has been over a year since our first Starbase guide was published. At the speed SpaceX moves, this feels like a lifetime ago. This new-and-improved guide invites you to explore Starbase's various aspects, from its cutting-edge production facilities to its state-of-the-art launch pads to its vibrant community, each of which plays a pivotal role in humanity’s journey to the stars.

Flyover view of Starbase Texas. Photo Credit:   RGVAerialPhotography

Welcome to Starbase. Welcome to the Gateway to Mars.

A Starship behind the "Gateway to Mars" sign. Photo Credit:   Starbase Surfer

Depending on how closely you follow SpaceX, you may or may not have heard of the Starship program. The Starship rocket is SpaceX’s most audacious project yet: the largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever created. Even more importantly, the entire rocket is designed to be fully reusable. This means it can launch to space, deploy a payload, and then return to Earth to be rapidly refueled and launched again — similar to how an airplane works.

The “fully-stacked” Starship rocket is composed of two parts: the upper-stage “Ship” and the lower-stage “Booster”. When combined and fueled, Starship is nearly 400 feet tall, 30 feet wide, and weighs 5000 tons. Powered by dozens of SpaceX’s full-flow staged combustion Raptor engines, Starship has nearly twice the thrust of the Apollo moon rocket — previously the most powerful rocket ever created by humans.

A Lower Stage “Booster” (B10). Photo Credit: Starship Gazer

Ultimately, Starship is the missing piece that will truly unlock full-scale colonization of the Moon and Mars. If there’s one thing you need to know before reading this guide, it is that everything at Starbase is built around how to rapidly prototype, build, test, and launch Starships.

A “Fully-Stacked” Booster and Ship. Photo Credit: Starship Gazer

We’ll kick things off at the Build Site. This area, also referred to as the Shipyard, is where much of the action happens at Starbase. The Build Site consists of the factory portion of Starbase, where large rolls of stainless steel and Raptor engines go in one end, and fully-stacked Starships and Boosters come out. The Build Site has two distinct sets of buildings: the Starfactory and the Bays.

Close-up of the Build Site at Starbase. Photo Credit: RGVAerialPhotography

A relatively recent addition to Starbase is the Starfactory, a building which Elon Musk has deemed “ the machine that builds the machine ”. Previously, most of the vehicle fabrication and welding was done in large manufacturing tents. In the latter half of 2022, SpaceX began removing these tents and replacing them with one massive all-encompassing building called the Starfactory.

Starfactory under construction. Photo Credit: Starbase Surfer

The Starfactory is a marvel of modern engineering and a cornerstone of SpaceX's vision for space travel. While building the Starfactory, SpaceX implemented numerous learnings from Tesla on how to scale mass manufacturing. Instead of building electric cars though (like Tesla is doing a couple hundred miles away at Giga Texas) the focus here is on Starship, a spacecraft designed not just for orbit but for interplanetary journeys.

Aerial photo of the Starfactory expansion at Starbase. Photo Credit: RGVAerialPhotography

This facility is expected to play a critical role in SpaceX's ambitious goal of eventually manufacturing one Starship per day to enable the colonization of the Moon and Mars. Not much is known yet about how the Starfactory is set up inside, but it is believed to be organized into different zones, with each one specializing in a specific part of the spacecraft's construction. This is similar to the prior model of manufacturing in tents where teams worked on various components of the Starship at different stations — from cutting steel for the initial sections to the intricate assembly of rings by robotic welding machines.

A look inside one of the manufacturing tents at Starbase. Photo Credit: Screenshot from Everyday Astronaut’s Starbase Tour with Elon Musk Video

One thing is certain: SpaceX will continue developing innovative manufacturing techniques and integrating them into the production process in the Starfactory. This will allow them to maintain a flexible, iterative approach to spacecraft design, and ensure that each iteration of the Starship is more advanced than the last. (And hopefully it’s just a matter of time until we get to see the inside with another great  tour ! )

There are currently three bays, with the second Mega Bay being the most recently completed. Each of these structures are outfitted with bridge cranes which means they play a major role in the process of stacking Starships and Boosters.

• The High Bay is the oldest of the Bays. Inside is where Starship nosecones are joined to the body sections. Previously it was used for Booster assembly work as well, but most of this has moved to the wider Mega Bays. In the past, Elon Musk has stated that the top floor of the High Bay will become a “ High Bay Bar ” with panoramic views of the RGV and a glass floor that allows visitors to look down and see the rocket-building processes taking place below.
• The Mega Bay (sometimes called the Wide Bay) is able to support parallel builds on Starships and Boosters thanks to multiple bridge cranes. It is roughly the same height as the High Bay, but twice as wide. As of early 2024, the Mega Bay will be the assembly bay for all Boosters going forward.
• The Mega Bay 2 is the newest building. It is almost the exact same height and size as the Mega Bay. As of early 2024, it is believed that the 2nd Mega Bay will be the new assembly bay for all Starships moving forward.

High Bay (left), Mega Bay (center), Mega Bay 2 (right). Photo Credit: RGVAerialPhotography

In the past, there was a Low Bay where rings were welded and nosecones were tiled, and a Mid Bay where Starship bodies, test tanks, and ground service equipment (GSE) tanks were assembled. Both of these Bays were demolished in order for the Starfactory to be expanded.

  A Starship inside of Mega Bay 2. Photo Credit: Starbase Surfer

The final building worth noting at the Build Site is the Stargate building. This satellite location for UTRGV provides research labs, classrooms, and business offices. The invite-only check-in area for Starbase visitors is located near here as well.

Stargate building at sunset. Photo Credit: Starbase Surfer

The Sanchez site consists of everything immediately southwest of the Build Site. Named after the previous owner of the land, a company called Sanchez Oil and Gas, this site is mostly used as a general purpose storage and staging area for equipment.

Overview of the Sanchez Site. Photo Credit: RGVAerialPhotography

One of the most iconic spots at Starbase is the Rocket Garden. A favorite spot for roadside photographs, this is a temporary staging area for Starships and Boosters when they are not in use. Typically, there are at least four vehicles parked here waiting on anything from engine installation to scrapping (destruction). This area is wildly in flux — oftentimes a rocket will only be parked here for a couple of days, but occasionally one will sit here for 4 months with no activity.

3 Boosters and 4 Starships parked in the Rocket Garden. Photo Credit: Screenshot from RGVAerialPhotography video

The Rocket Garden is located on the northwest corner of Remedios Avenue, just past the employee Tiki Bar. For years, this road was open to the public and anyone could walk up within 100 feet of the massive staging area, as long as they stayed on the opposite side of the road from SpaceX’s property. However, in November 2023 this road was officially closed off to the public. It is unknown if the road to the Rocket Garden will reopen again in the future.

Left: Two of the very first cans of Starbase beer ever produced (before we even had labels!) being consumed in the Rocket Garden at sunset.

Right: Rocket garden photo shoot with the first four Starbase Brewing printed cans prototypes.

Staging Area / Storage

The primary use of the Sanchez site has been as a staging area for key Starbase infrastructure. Many important pieces of equipment were assembled at the Sanchez site including the Orbital Launch Tower, the Engine Stand, Storage Tanks, and the Cryoshells.

Sections of the water-cooled plate (discussed below) stored at Sanchez. Photo Credit: RGVAerialPhotography

A Future Propellant Plant?

In the past, the Sanchez site was also rumored to be the site of a propellant plant, a desalination plant, and a natural gas plant. All of these plans seem to have been scrapped (at least temporarily) by the FAA Environmental Review .

Many armchair analysts expect SpaceX to eventually build a propellant plant at one of their facilities so that they can begin testing a potential Sabatier System . The Sabatier Reaction allows for producing liquid methane and liquid oxygen, the two propellants needed for Starship’s Raptor engine . This propellant and oxidizer were chosen specifically for their ability to be generated on Mars, and proving this technology works on Earth will allow SpaceX to build ISRU ( in-situ resource utilization ) plants on Mars. This means propellant for Starships could be manufactured on the Martian surface, allowing for return journeys to Earth.

The Starbase sign at the Sanchez site is a great place for photos

The Massey’s Site is a newer addition to the scene at Starbase. Massey’s is named after the original tenant of this piece of land, Massey’s Gun Shop and Range. SpaceX purchased this land in 2021 , and has been gradually turning it into a state-of-the-art testing facility over the past two years. Throughout that time, it played host to some interesting prototypes including the extraordinarily memorable “ can crusher ” tests. At least for now, the gun range is still operational and can be found on Google Maps .

  Overview of the Starbase Massey’s site. Photo: RGVAerialPhotography

As of early 2024, a large number of propellant holding tanks have been installed at Massey’s. At an invite-only meeting in Brownsville in December 2023, Kathy Leuders (SpaceX’s General Manager for Starbase) confirmed publicly that SpaceX intends to move most of the cryogenic and static fire testing campaigns to this location in the near future. This would free up the launch site to be focused primarily on actual launch operations. Some Starbase commentators believe that a traditional flame trench diverter system is in the works here as well.

Can Crusher rig hooked up to a test tank at Massey’s. Photo: Starship Gazer

During that same meeting, Kathy reiterated that SpaceX was doubling down on the RGV area and that they would begin construction on a second launch tower soon. At one point, it had been rumored that SpaceX might try to split launch operations between South Texas and Cape Canaveral (a.k.a. “Starbase Florida”) with Starbase Texas focusing more on research and development.

Across Highway 4 from the entrance to Massey’s (though not technically a part of the site) there is a small roundabout with a few structures. This enclave is home to Starbase Mission Control, stationed here so that it is outside of the designated exclusion zone during launches which covers the entire Launch and Build Site.

Starbase Mission Control with new structures being 3D printed nearby. Photo Credit: Jack Beyer

An Austin-based company called ICON has even printed some structures in this area using giant concrete 3D printers. (ICON recently won a NASA contract to print infrastructure on the Moon so it is assumed that this construction was done as a practice run for that.)

This area is also the location of SpaceX’s Ad Astra school. This exclusive school for the children of some SpaceX employees was incorporated a few years ago inside of SpaceX’s Hawthorne rocket factory. For a while, classes were taught inside of Elon Musk’s house in Los Angeles before Starbase became the final location.

Inside the Ad Astra School. Photo Credit: SpaceX’s Life at Starbase video (Screenshot)

The Town of Boca Chica 

The village at Starbase is home to many SpaceX employees who work on the Starship program. Before the Starbase project began, this tiny town known as Boca Chica had a population of roughly two dozen people. Nearly all of these people have had their land purchased by SpaceX over the past decade as they have committed more and more resources to this area.

An aerial overview shot of Boca Chica Village in late 2023. Photo Credit: Screenshot from RGVAerialPhotography ’s Starbase Weekly Ep. 100

Since 2018, the village at Starbase has grown rapidly. What began as a single street with a couple dozen homes has rapidly transformed into a small city.

Boca Chica Village in Summer 2020. Photo Credit: RGVAerialPhotography

The village is now almost entirely owned by SpaceX who has turned it into housing so their employees can more easily access the Build Site and Launch Site. Many of these homes have been outfitted with Tesla Solar Roofs and Tesla Powerwalls for battery backup.

A SpaceX employee house with a Tesla Solar Roof. Photo Credit: EthicsGradient

Elon Musk himself even owns a home on the main residential street here — which was recently appropriately renamed from Weems Street to Memes Street .

The new sign for Memes Street. Photo Credit: Stephen Shard

Outside of the traditional brick and mortar homes, the Starbase village also houses numerous SpaceX employees in the “Mars Pathfinder” parks. Reminiscent of the Apollo Era at the Cape, these RV parks scattered around Starbase are filled with Airstream trailers that allow employees to live right near the action. Each Airstream park is named after a specific landmark on Mars like Olympus Mons. (To be clear though, many workers still drive in from Brownsville, South Padre Island, and the surrounding areas.)

Airstream park near the Bays at Starbase. Photo Credit: David Karim

2023 was a year of expansion in the village. New roads were laid, new water infrastructure was added, and the local utility finally ran three-phase power out to Starbase . (Up until this point, the world’s largest and most advanced rocket factory was running off the combination of single-phase power and generator musical chairs!)

Other SpaceX Facilities

In addition to the housing, there is a fantastic employee-only restaurant called the “ Astropub ” (sometimes referred to as “ The Prancing Pony ” or “Flaps”), a coffee bar, an employee beergarden, dog parks, a gym, and more.

The Astropub at Starbase. Photo Credit: Starbase Tourist

There are even hovercraft (yes, real-life hovercraft) that drop commuters off after carrying them across the Rio Grande from Port Isabel each day. Maybe in the future we’ll see Cybertrucks floating across this channel as well since apparently this exact use case was one of Tesla’s design goals .

A hovercraft for commuters crossing the Rio Grande at Starbase. Photo Credit: Starbase Surfer

Finally, the Starbase village is home to an on-site solar farm, lots of various storage, and two previously-NASA-owned satellite dishes which are pointed towards the launch site to gather data any time there is testing going on.

One of the two NASA telescopes pans down to collect data from Starship during a test. Photo Credit: Space Ocean

Last, but certainly not least, is the Launch Complex at Starbase. This facility, featuring the Orbital Launch Integration Tower (OLIT) and the newly upgraded deluge system, is the main focal point of Starship's launch operations. The Launch Site has evolved significantly over the years as SpaceX has progressed through Starship’s testing campaign from suborbital flights to orbital flights.

The most striking feature of the entire Starbase skyline is the Orbital Launch Integration Tower, often referred to as the “OLIT”. The OLIT is an integral part of Starship launch operations. The tower provides stability to the fully-stacked rocket and also houses many of the umbilical cables that propellant and oxidizer flow through to be loaded onto the rocket. The launch tower is nearly 480 feet tall and is the tallest structure in South Texas by a large margin.

The OLIT uses its tower arms to stack an upper-stage Ship onto a lower-stage Booster. Photo Credit: Starship Gazer

The Chopsticks / "Mechazilla"

One of the tower’s defining features is the two large perpendicular arms that stick out from the side. Referred to as “the chopsticks”, these attachments transform the OLIT into “ Mechazilla ” (named after the robotic Godzilla ). The chopsticks are capable of lifting Boosters and Ships to stack them onto the pad which removes the need for a large crane system. Even more ambitiously, the long-term goal of Mechazilla is to catch Boosters and Ships out of the air as they are returning to the launch site. This will allow them to be more quickly refilled and relaunched, enabling airport-like operations of the massive rocket.

Directly adjacent to the Orbital Launch Tower is the Orbital Launch Mount, or “OLM”. The OLM is a heavily-reinforced mount with clamps that hold the fully-stacked Starships securely into place. The OLM is secured into the ground on top of a literal mountain of rebar and concrete pillars, and can support a weight in the tens of millions of pounds. It is usually repainted in between static fires or launch attempts.

  A close-up of the OLM with a Booster stacked on top. Photo Credit: Starship Gazer

Located slightly above the OLM is the Quick Disconnect Arm, commonly called the “QD”. This is the primary connection between the launch tower and the rocket itself and is the interface through which all of the fluids are loaded onto the vehicle. As the rocket lifts off, the QD retracts with a cover that protects its delicate internals from the fiery thrust of the engines.

Water Deluge System (aka Water Cooled Steel Plate, or the Booster Bidet)

After the “ concrete tornado ” created during the very first Starship launch attempt on April 20th 2023, another new addition was made to the Starbase Launch site — a water deluge system.

Unlike a traditional flame trench which is typically a giant ditch dug in the ground, the engineers at SpaceX chose to try a radical new approach: a giant water cooled steel plate. This plate acts as an upside-down shower head that sprays water upwards in a conical shape to counteract the thrust from the Raptor engines.

The goal of this system is to suppress the sound waves and shock waves created during the launch, which can quite literally rip the entire pad apart. As of early 2024, this design appears to be extremely effective.

All of the components for a second Starship-enabled launch tower were assembled at the Cape Canaveral Roberts Road Facility (Starbase Florida) in late 2022. Elon Musk confirmed that these were spares in case a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” destroyed the tower. Initially, it was believed that SpaceX would build this tower at the Cape as long as it wasn’t needed at Starbase (There is already one launch tower at Cape Canaveral, so this would be the second.)

However, in late 2023 these pieces began being loaded onto barges bound for Starbase, and Kathy Leuders recently confirmed that SpaceX will soon assemble a second Orbital Integration Launch Tower right next to the first one at Starbase in Texas. This should help SpaceX test the “catch” maneuver (where the chopsticks grab rockets out of the air) without risking their only launch pad.

The last component of the Launch Site is the Tank Farm. This is a large area near the launch pad with dozens of massive high-pressure tanks that contain liquid methane propellant, liquid oxygen oxidizer, and liquid nitrogen (an inert gas used for testing), and water. The components in the tank farm are ever-evolving — new tanks are added or reconfigured every month or two.

Aerial overview of the Tank Farm. Photo Credit: John Cargile / What About It?

There are also many subcoolers in this area that chill the gas down to be loaded onto the vehicle. These subcoolers have been upgraded over time which has increased the speed at which propellant can be tanked.

The total capacity of the farm is currently unknown but it usually requires a line of tankers any time to fill all of the tanks before any major launch testing event can occur.

The last thing worth noting is that Starships and Boosters must be moved around on public roads given the infrastructure currently at Starbase. This is typically done via a road closure which can be tracked on Cameron County’s official website. Transfers are typically done using the Self-Propelled Modular Transport, or SPMT, which is a large crawler with rows of wheels that can carry rockets between testing locations. Once the rocket arrives at a location, it is offloaded using a crane or the chopsticks.  

Additionally, there are a few “Stands” that can either be mounted on top of the SPMT or used independently to assist with work around the Starbase facility. A few examples of these are the Raptor Stand, the Starship Stand, and a Thrust Simulator Stand.  

The Raptor Stand. Photo Credit: LabPadre

The Starship Stand. Photo Credit: Starship Gazer

Thrust Simulator Stand. Photo Credit: Starship Gazer

...And Much More Coming Soon

Starbase continues to grow and evolve every day, and it is, in our humble opinion, the single most exciting place on the planet right now. The locations covered in this guide are just the tip of the iceberg. If you have the means, we highly recommend taking a trip to South Texas to see this magical place for yourself. (And if you want more information on how to plan a trip, check out our guide !)

The new SpaceX sign at the launch site. Photo Credit: Starbase Surfer

For some of the best up-to-date labeled maps of the area, check out RGV Aerial Photography on YouTube or X . Flyovers of Starbase are performed on a weekly basis, and Mauricio has done an amazing job documenting the progress of the city of Starbase as it has grown over the past few years. Some other great photography resources are Starship Gazer , Starbase Surfer , Rocket Future , and more. We have also published a list that includes some of the other Starbase influencers we recommend following.

There is also a great Google map of the Starbase area that is maintained by Reddit community member Raul74Cz .

This article was last updated in January of 2024. All of the information surfaced in this guide has been sourced from publicly available resources on the web. Things are constantly changing at Starbase, but we will try to keep this guide as up-to-date as possible.

Starbase Brewing is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with SpaceX, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. We are huge fans, though.

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'Dream come true:’ SpaceX's Starbase in Texas is a flashback to 1960s Florida

Starship production and launch facility feels a lot like florida's apollo-era days..

Note: We've brought you a front-row seat to Florida space news since 1966. Journalism like ours takes time and resources. Please  consider a subscription .

Brand new rocket facilities near a sleepy beachside city historically unfamiliar with all things space. Hundreds of workers rushing around production sites to meet the latest deadlines. The sounds of heavy machinery, chatter through hip-mounted radios, and trucks slowly navigating potholed roads reminiscent of the lunar surface.

And, on launch days, even the occasional explosion that scatters a test vehicle into countless pieces.

To some, all this might sound familiar, like a flashback to Florida's Space Coast in the 1960s when thousands descended on cities like Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral to make the Apollo program a reality. But this isn't Florida.

Welcome to Starbase, Texas.

There's a camaraderie and sense of mission here – and a casualness – that resembles what life on the Space Coast was like nearly 60 years ago. One test at a time, the impossible is being made into the possible, and the workforce is growing. But it's not just the fortunes of directly employed workers and the community that are being changed – almost anyone can drive up to flight-ready hardware and experience the thrill for themselves.

"I truly believe in five, 10, 20 years, they're going to be making documentaries about this just like they make documentaries about Cape Canaveral," said Nic Ansuini, an audio engineer and podcaster, who braves stifling heat to create content mere feet away from rocket hardware that compelled him to move hundreds of miles away from home.

NASA IG: New spacesuits will likely cost $1 billion, won't be ready for Artemis moon mission

Elon Musk: Photos of SpaceX, Tesla CEO, Paypal, tech whiz through the years

SpaceX's Texas launch site

A thousand miles west of Florida near the city of Brownsville is Starbase, an untamed area reminiscent of the nature preserves that dominate a swath of Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Much like the Space Coast, satellite imagery paints the picture of a flat region dominated more by water features than usable land.

Here, SpaceX founder Elon Musk operates in full-steam-ahead-mode. Not only does he visit often to oversee significant operations, but he has already kicked off a legal process to get the area officially renamed Starbase. One day, a small city – well, more of a spaceport town – could take shape from the wilderness and join Brownsville on this southernmost tip of Texas.

Musk and his teams are assembling, testing, and launching the future of his company, a two-stage stainless steel vehicle known as the Starship system . There are security guards and fences, but no one stops the curious from wandering over to get a closer look at Starship and its Super Heavy booster, both of which tower nearly 400 feet in height and were stacked for the first time last week. The promised 16 million pounds of liftoff thrust is more than twice that of the Apollo era's iconic Saturn V rocket.

Those willing to put up with the overwhelming humidity and pockmarked roads can get surprisingly close to hardware that Musk says will someday take humans to the moon, Mars, and beyond. The area is often referred to as Boca Chica, Cameron County, or the SpaceX South Texas Launch Site, but Starbase has taken over as the name of choice lately.

Fans, journalists, and those simply looking to document Starship happenings are flocking here to see it for themselves. And they get support directly from SpaceX employees who wave, honk, and thank them in person for getting the word out about their accomplishments.

Ansuini , a self-proclaimed "indoors person," moved here from Missouri in mid-July and made a nearby beach his home so he could document Starship happenings.

"I'm not an outdoors person. Hate dirt, hate sweating, hate the outside. But here I am, sweating away," Ansuini told FLORIDA TODAY just outside the front gate to the launch pad. "But you know what? It's worth it. When you have a goal that's so inspiring and so exciting, you'd be a fool not to drop everything you're doing to pursue that. And I felt that way."

The 22-year-old said he had planned on booking a hotel when he first arrived, but saw people camping on nearby Boca Chica Beach, so he used the opportunity to save on costs. Now he's apartment hunting in the area to continue producing podcasts, YouTube videos , exclusive content for subscribers , and more.

"There's so much to see down here, so much to do, so much to capture. Yes, plenty of people have tons of fancy camera equipment, so what can I bring?" he said. "Well, I'm an audio engineer, so I brought some microphones. I think it's so important to preserve archival-level audio quality of what's happening here."

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The 'Starship Surge'

In Brownsville, country music wafts from bar radios. Hand-drawn signs in hotel lobbies welcome SpaceX employees. The intense humidity, much like South Florida, hits you like a wall when you step outside and soaks through clothes after just a few seconds.

Before SpaceX came, this city of roughly 175,000 on the border with Mexico was best known for its role in international trade thanks to the Port of Brownsville. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has a campus here, too.

Last week, a 400-foot accomplishment helped bring another sense of pride to this community that a few years ago likely never would have dreamed it would be involved in cutting-edge space technology: SpaceX teams stacked Starship for the first time.

The combined vehicle – 230-foot Super Heavy booster below, 164-foot Starship above – stood on a platform at the launch pad and gleamed in the sunlight as dozens of visitors clapped and cheered just outside the gates.

Aside from previous test launches, most of which ended in fireballs , the stacking marked the most visual milestone to date for Starship and paved the way for a full-fledged orbital test flight.

"Dream come true," Musk, who was here in person and helped direct the operation, said last Friday. "An honor to work with such a great team."

When assembled, Starship stands as the tallest and most powerful rocket in the world, though it will have to fly a demonstration mission before truly claiming those titles. That could come as soon as next month depending on readiness and regulatory approval from agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration.

Ultimately, Musk sees Starship as the vehicle that will take thousands of people to the moon and Mars for the establishment of self-sustaining colonies. Current plans include launching the system from both Texas and Florida, the latter of which will be hosted by KSC's historic pad 39A. Starbase isn't necessarily a threat to Florida, but it will certainly be the more customized of the two options considering SpaceX ultimately controls its own spaceport in Texas.

The massive rocket is also capable of more traditional missions like satellite launches, but its new architecture has several organizations studying other uses.

The Department of Defense, for example, is looking into using rockets like Starship to launch troops into areas of operation, a move that could drastically cut down on transit time. More recently, NASA announced the Starship platform will be used to take Artemis program astronauts from lunar orbit – delivered there from Florida by NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule – down to the surface. That Human Lander System contract is valued at around $3 billion so far.

On future missions, Starship and Super Heavy will launch from Starbase, fly east over the Gulf of Mexico and reach orbit before returning to the pad for landing (both launch and land vertically). Starship could deliver a payload to orbit and then return for landing, or it could depart Earth orbit altogether and target a farther destination. Missions launching from Florida would look similar, though most of the details have not yet been made public.

Today's heavy-lift rockets, most notably NASA's in-development Space Launch System, are made for several different purposes. Starship's architecture, for example, includes the possibility of in-orbit refueling after liftoff, whereas SLS is a straight shot to the destination after launch from Kennedy Space Center. But measured strictly from the perspective of liftoff thrust and the ability to take payloads to Earth orbit, Starship appears to be unmatched for now.

Major milestones like the first stacking are why Stephen Marr , a Space Coast resident who has photographed launches for several different outlets and his subscribers, came to Starbase for his first visit in July. Just a few years ago, he moved from Tennessee to Florida specifically to chase rockets and deliver pizzas on the side; now he's standing just a few feet away from the most massive of them all.

"It's been such a dream," he said during a recent visit to the area. "It's all gone sort of according to plan, if I had a set plan. Just go out there, do your best work, and keep doing it."

As SpaceX workers huddled around the launch pad for the next big operation, Marr and Ansuini focus on something else: spreading the word.

"The goal is I just want to be able to pay the rent and do what I love. I don't need to get rich doing this," Marr said. "All the while, I get to experience all of it."

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The future of Starbase

Over the long term, SpaceX's operations in Texas have one major advantage over those in Florida: access.

Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station split the Eastern Range, but both are secure federal facilities that require proper access credentials. Starbase, meanwhile, is entirely owned by SpaceX and is free of military bases, federally restricted areas, and other hurdles. It gives Musk a nearly unfettered ability to make changes and push for faster or different types of production.

For nearby communities like Brownsville, the full-force entry of SpaceX into the area is critical to their future.

"They definitely put Brownsville on the map," said Ramiro Gonzalez, Brownsville's director of government and community affairs. "We're proud to be a home for SpaceX and we appreciate all the attention."

Much like the Space Coast of the 1960s through today, Gonzalez said his community sees influxes of visitors and a steady stream of workers who are directly and indirectly supported by SpaceX activities. Launches are especially important since visitors typically choose to book more than one day in the area in the event of delays or scrubs.

"Hotels are happy, restaurants are really happy," Gonzalez said. "The economic ripples of not only employment from SpaceX but also visitorship are palpable. People can really put their hands on it and prove it."

But all that doesn't mean SpaceX hasn't faced issues with Starbase. Before stainless steel rockets towered over the landscape here, a small unincorporated community known as Boca Chica Village was home to a few dozen people.

A May report by the Wall Street Journal chronicled frictions between SpaceX and residents, many of which rose to the surface when owners refused to sell their homes to the company. There have also been accusations of property theft and general "bullying" as the pressure to sell increases, but the report indicates that at least seven residents are still holding onto their homes as of three months ago.

The scuffle presents yet another parallel between Florida and Texas: what is now the Space Coast wasn't barren when engineers and officials from all walks of life descended on the area and decided to build a spaceport. Sleepy fishing villages dotted the area and farmers worked land that space shuttles would traverse decades later. In fact, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is still home to a small cemetery that had been there before launch complexes were even an idea.

Frictions aside, Starbase has generally been a boon for the area. Gonzalez said Brownsville is even trying to get ahead of the curve by becoming not only a hub for SpaceX, but all types of commercial space companies.

"Honestly, our major focus right now is developing this commercial space ecosystem business-wise. We think we have several advantages here and we have a place people want to come to," he said.

The openness of SpaceX facilities and the founding of what will eventually be a company town of sorts means future astronauts, space tourists, and officials have a unique opportunity to carve out amenities for these types of travelers. Catering to these groups will be quite different from what the Space Coast – or perhaps anywhere – has seen before.

"We're a very welcoming community," Gonzalez said. "If you go to space from here, we'll accommodate."

Contact Emre Kelly at [email protected] or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly. Support space journalism by subscribing at  floridatoday.com/specialoffer/ .

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Visiting Starbase, Texas

We’ve been in South Texas for going on three weeks. For the most part, we’ve learned that January and early February isn’t the best time to visit the Rio Grande Valley. Even though it was a bit chilly the weather finally broke today. So we decided it would be a good day for me to get my geek on and visit Starbase, Texas.

What is Starbase, Texas you ask? Starbase is a private rocket production facility, test site, and spaceport constructed by SpaceX, located at Boca Chica approximately 20 miles east of Brownsville, Texas, on the US Gulf Coast.

Here, a short walk from the beach, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has built a launch complex to one day send the first humans hurtling into space on a mission to colonize Mars.

About a month ago we got to visit Johnson Space Center . With its history in space exploration it was a wonderful experience. Today we visited the future of space travel. Super cool for the geek in me!

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This is where SpaceX is testing their Starship rockets that will eventually take astronauts to the Moon and Mars. I was amazed at how close we could actually get to the rockets.

There is so much construction going on in the area. You can see they are building prototype rockets while building roads and other infrastructure for Starbase.

The chance to witness a rocket close-up is drawing tourists from around the world to this remote stretch of the Texas coast.

Starship and its giant first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy standing tall alongside the launch pad.

Getting There

Take Hwy 4 East from Brownsville, Texas and you can’t miss it!

What We Saw

My favorite part of the trip was seeing all the rockets that are built and ready for their test flights. I only wish we were going to be here to see one launch. From what I’ve read SpaceX plans to launch the first orbital test flight of Starship sometime in March 2022.

SpaceX’s Single Raptor engine, SN6. Starhopper was retired after its 27 August 2019 launch and is now used as a water tank at the production site. I had to do some investigating to see what it was. I thought it was some sort of moon space station habitat or something and it looks like it was made from scrap metal. That was before I realized it was actually flown.

While these rockets seem to be short they are actually just one piece that gets attached to the larger booster. To give you an idea of how big the Starship rockets actually are see the picture below.

Second trip to Starbase

One day while driving over to check out South Padre Island I looked out to the right and could see the whole Starship Rocked stacked on the launch pad and got excited. We decided after our time on the island that day that we would head back over to Starbase for a closer look.

We hoped that we might actually get to see it launch. Unfortunately, it was only stacked for a press conference for Elon Musk. One which we got kicked out of the area after being there for only about an hour. It was cool to get a close-up view of the world’s largest rocket.

From what I read this rocket was supposed to do an orbital test flight in mid-March. But it sounds like the launch of this Starship is going to be delayed while waiting for the FAA environmental impact assessment.

The whole Boca Chica area has basically been taken over by SpaceX. They have purchased most of the homes in the Kopernik Shores neighborhood. Taking the tract of 30 1960’s style ranch homes putting Tesla Solar Roofs, and Tesla Charging Stations on the homes.

Also in the neighborhood is an Airstream Trailer park for employees of SpaceX.

If you’re into space exploration or have an interest in rockets Boca Chica is a great place to get an up-close view of rockets being prepared for flight. I could have spent all day looking over the rockets and dreaming of being an astronaut, but I promised Lisa we’d go to South Padre Island too so that’s where we headed next.

Have you been to Starbase, Texas? What did you think of it?

What interesting places can you recommend? We’re always looking for neat out-of-the-way experiences to add to our list of places to visit. Thank you for reading our article. If you have any comments or questions we’d love to hear from you below.

If you’re looking to build your own home-based business like we have with this webpage, check out  Wealthy Affiliate .

Wealthy Affiliate is an all-in-one platform that you can build your whole affiliate marketing business on. It combines training, software, and website hosting into one. This makes the whole process of starting an online business from scratch much easier, especially if you’re new to building a website.

2 thoughts on “Visiting Starbase, Texas”

Planning to go by the end of this year or early next year. Thanks for the great pics and info!

Hi Ray, I hope you have as great of a time as we did!

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Nasa lays out how spacex will refuel starships in low-earth orbit, "the fundamental flow mechanism is the pressure delta across the umbilical.".

Stephen Clark - Apr 30, 2024 12:19 am UTC

Some time next year, NASA believes SpaceX will be ready to link two Starships in orbit for an ambitious refueling demonstration, a technical feat that will put the Moon within reach.

SpaceX is under contract with NASA to supply two human-rated Starships for the first two astronaut landings on the Moon through the agency's Artemis program, which aims to return people to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972. The first of these landings, on NASA's Artemis III mission, is currently targeted for 2026, although this is widely viewed as an ambitious schedule.

Last year, NASA awarded a contract to Blue Origin to develop its own human-rated Blue Moon lunar lander, giving Artemis managers two options for follow-on missions.

Designers of both landers were future-minded. They designed Starship and Blue Moon for refueling in space. This means they can eventually be reused for multiple missions, and ultimately, could take advantage of propellants produced from resources on the Moon or Mars.

Amit Kshatriya, who leads the "Moon to Mars" program within NASA's exploration division, outlined SpaceX's plan to do this in a meeting with a committee of the NASA Advisory Council on Friday. He said the Starship test program is gaining momentum, with the next test flight from SpaceX's Starbase launch site in South Texas expected by the end of May.

"Production is not the issue," Kshatriya said. "They're rolling cores out. The engines are flowing into the factory. That is not the issue. The issue is it is a significant development challenge to do what they’re trying to do ... We have to get on top of this propellant transfer problem. It is the right problem to try and solve. We're trying to build a blueprint for deep space exploration."

Road map to refueling

Before getting to the Moon, SpaceX and Blue Origin must master the technologies and techniques required for in-space refueling. Right now, SpaceX is scheduled to attempt the first demonstration of a large-scale propellant transfer between two Starships in orbit next year.

There will be at least several more Starship test flights before then. During the most recent Starship test flight in March , SpaceX conducted a cryogenic propellant transfer test between two tanks inside the vehicle. This tank-to-tank transfer of liquid oxygen was part of a demonstration supported with NASA funding. Agency officials said this demonstration would allow engineers to learn more about how the fluid behaves in a low-gravity environment.

Kshatriya said that while engineers are still analyzing the results of the cryogenic transfer demonstration, the test on the March Starship flight "was successful by all accounts."

"That milestone is behind them," he said Friday. Now, SpaceX will move out with more Starship test flights. The next launch will try to check off a few more capabilities SpaceX didn't demonstrate on the March test flight.

These will include a precise landing of Starship's Super Heavy booster in the Gulf of Mexico, which is necessary before SpaceX tries to land the booster back at its launch pad in Texas. Another objective will likely be the restart of a single Raptor engine on Starship in flight, which SpaceX didn't accomplish on the March flight due to unexpected roll rates on the vehicle as it coasted through space. Achieving an in-orbit engine restart—necessary to guide Starship toward a controlled reentry—is a prerequisite for future launches into a stable higher orbit, where the ship could loiter for hours, days, or weeks to deploy satellites and attempt refueling.

In the long run, SpaceX wants to ramp up the Starship launch cadence to many daily flights from multiple launch sites. To achieve that goal, SpaceX plans to recover and rapidly reuse Starships and Super Heavy boosters, building on expertise from the partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket. Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, is keen on reusing ships and boosters as soon as possible . Earlier this month, Musk said he is optimistic SpaceX can recover a Super Heavy booster in Texas later this year and land a Starship back in Texas sometime next year.

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SpaceX launches Starship rocket on third test flight

By Jackie Wattles and Adrienne Vogt , CNN

All about Starbase, SpaceX's South Texas launch site

Starbase lies just steps from Boca Chica Beach, the strip of coastline on the Gulf of Mexico that lies at the southernmost tip of Texas.

One road runs in and out of the area: A narrow stretch of asphalt called Boca Chica Highway. The westbound lane includes a US Border Patrol checkpoint.

Before SpaceX moved in, there were only a couple dozen homes nearby in an area called Boca Chica Village.

Most longtime residents have since been pushed out. SpaceX has purchased and painted many of the homes, allowing employees to move in.

And the company's presence has only grown from there : Rows of airstream trailers provide temporary housing for workers. A small restaurant for employees lies just off the road. And there are colossal buildings and work yards with scraps of rocket bodies lying about.

Some locals are angered to see their once remote beach community overrun by SpaceX employees and rocket construction.

And SpaceX once again drew the ire of environmentalists when the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission voted to move forward with negotiating a land-swap agreement . The agreement would transfer control of 43 acres of public land near SpaceX's facilities over to the company. As part of the deal, the commission will also gain 477 acres near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

SpaceX plans to launch its massive Starship rocket Thursday morning

From CNN's Kristin Fisher

SpaceX is set to attempt to launch the third flight test of Starship, the most powerful rocket in the world and a critical component of NASA Artemis program.  

The company says the launch window will open at 7 a.m. CT (8 a.m. ET) Thursday and close at 8:50 a.m. CT (9:50 a.m. ET). The first two flight tests ended in explosions, or “Rapid Unscheduled Disassemblies” as SpaceX calls it.  

The Federal Aviation Administration completed its mishap investigation into the second test flight in February and an environmental assessment of the new splashdown site for the third test flight on Wednesday, a day before the targeted launch date.  

That environmental assessment cleared the way for the FAA to issue a launch license to Space X on Wednesday evening, saying in a statement the company "met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements,”

Previous Starship test flights were slated to splash down near Hawaii, but this third attempt will be targeting the Indian Ocean. 

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Starship Flight 3 Highlights As SpaceX Prepares For Next Launch

Posted: May 1, 2024 | Last updated: May 1, 2024

SpaceX launched Starship on Integrated Flight Test 3 from their Starbase facility in South Texas. SpaceX has conducted static fire test for the next test flight. Credit: SpaceX

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