June 12, 2026 / 2:27 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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SpaceX's headquarters in Starbase, Texas, which sits at the state's southern tip in the Rio Grande Valley, emerges almost unexpectedly after miles of long, dusty dirt roads.Before SpaceX arrived, the area was known primarily for its coastal wildlife, especially bird watching. Locals say there were a few dozen homes, mostly winter residences for retirees, while the nearest major city, Brownsville, is more than 20 miles away on the border with Matamoros, Mexico.The cities are a study in contrasts. Starbase is a company town. Its residents are largely transplants from cities like Austin and San Francisco who come not for the birds but for the work. Brownsville's predominantly Latino population works mostly in farming and shrimping.Yet Starbase and Brownsville also share resources, with some SpaceX employees living in Brownsville, which has a population of roughly 192,000, and sending their children to school in the city. SpaceX employ over 4,000 workers at its Starbase facilities, with roughly 70% coming from the local area, according to company records. The company plans to nearly double that workforce to around 8,000 employees this year. SpaceX's growth took a major leap forward on Friday when its shares went public in the largest-ever initial public offering. The IPO instantly lifted the company's market value to more than $2 trillion and made SpaceX founder Elon Musk the first person to be worth at least $1 trillion.
