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The Texas Tribune
The Texas Tribune
National
Berenice Garcia

SpaceX wants a tax break meant to create jobs in low-income areas. Critics question the benefits.

SpaceX Elon Musk Starbase Texas Cameron County Good Jobs First South Texas The Texas Tribune

STARBASE — Since establishing a South Texas headquarters more than a decade ago, SpaceX has quickly grown its operations here, expanding its staff from 300 in 2020 to more than 3,400 in 2024. The company is growing once again, taking on two new projects that will enable SpaceX to launch rockets more frequently.

Construction crews are already at work to expand SpaceX’s presence in this once little-known South Texas community. And the company has hired hundreds of workers for the next phase of fulfilling CEO Elon Musk’s goal of landing on Mars.

As SpaceX moves forward, the company is seeking to benefit from doing business in one of the poorest regions in the state, the Rio Grande Valley. The new city of Starbase— created and run by employees of SpaceX — is helping the company apply for a multimillion-dollar state tax refund.

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