SpaceX’s sprawling Starbase campus may be growing to dominate a vast swath of South Texas — but it’s not the only one.
South Padre Island, a major vacation destination, and the town of Port Isabel are located 5 miles from the launch pad for Starship, the largest rocket ever built. Dozens of local residents are suing the company, alleging property damage caused by the launches. A billboard outside Port Isabel also solicits applicants.
Brendon Vela, a local resident who lives near the marina, said his house shook during the launches.
But material damage is not his only concern. “This community really cares about sea turtles,” Vela said.
Wild ocelots and migratory birds also roam large swaths of wildlife preserves – areas that have shrunk as SpaceX has purchased land.
Port Isabel City Manager Jared Hockema told CNN on Thursday that the area has long been a destination for ecotourism. But he worries about how SpaceX’s activities could affect that ecosystem as well as homes and historic sites, including a Civil War battlefield and a 174-year-old lighthouse.
“On some launches, the top of the lighthouse wobbles,” Hockema said. “We don’t know the long-term impact of these launches, given that they are so large, so close and there are so many that happen over time.”
Hockema added that he is not opposed to SpaceX. But community members want their concerns heard.
“I certainly wouldn’t say there’s been any change in what they’re doing based on everything we’ve raised,” he said. “It’s safe.”
Gn headline
