By ARABELLA SERRATA
Staff Writer
SpaceX launched their eighth flight test of the Starship, on March 6.
According to the SpaceX official website, the Super Heavy booster shut down three out of 15 Raptor engines. This was planned for “hot staging separation,” according to the website. The ship then separated the Raptor engines from the Super Heavy booster.
The super heavy booster was caught at its launch tower, making it the third successful launch thus far. The rest of the Starship continued its planned trajectory until an “energetic event in the aft portion of the starship” led to the loss of several engines.
SpaceX lost contact with the ship roughly nine minutes after liftoff.
According to the website, the ship flew within a “designated launch corridor” and stated any surviving debris would have fallen into the re-planned debris response area. They emphasized that there are no “significant” impacts expected to occur to the marine life or water quality in the area.
The website continued to promise that SpaceX would “conduct a thorough investigation, in coordination with the FAA, and implement corrective actions to make improvements on future Starship flight tests.”
SpaceX has also submitted a petition to incorporate Starbase as a city. In a press release to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., SpaceX states that incorporating SpaceX as a city would “streamline the process required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world-class place to live.”
According to the press release, SpaceX is already performing several “civil functions” for its residents in the area. They emphasized that the incorporation, should it be approved by voters in the upcoming election, would have “no impact” on their “commitment to being a science-backed steward of the local environment.”
According to a later press release by Judge Trevino Jr., the county judge has no choice in calling the election. “Under Texas Local Government Code § 8.003, the Cameron County Judge is required to order an incorporation election when all the statutory requirements are met,” reads the release.
The release continues to state that only registered voters who live in the geographic boundaries of the petition to incorporate Starbase are eligible to vote in the special election, this also applies to the election for Starbase city officials in the May general election.
If the vote passes, the Cameron County Judge is required to recognize Starbase as a Type C-Municipality, Starbase would then be required to follow “all state and federal statutes that regulate municipalities such as electing officials, conducting open meetings, responding to public information requests, providing emergency and support services, etc.”
The release also added that Starbase would not be able to close any roads or beaches at will. A full map of the proposed boundaries of Starbase can be found on the Cameron County website.
The Cameron County elections will be held on May 5, 2025.