Special to the PRESS
Cameron County shared the most recent Starbase Local Impact economic statistics made available from Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX).
SpaceX’s vision in Cameron County has been ambitious, and with the company’s shift to build and launch the Starship spacecraft, SpaceX’s investment in Cameron County has been significant in recent years. Cameron County continues to support critical infrastructure, adding to its already bustling systems, according to Cameron County officials. This includes seaports, air, roads, rail, pipelines and now space. SpaceX and other industries add on to this, opening opportunities for high-paying jobs, infrastructure and commerce.
According to the Starbase Local Impact report, there are over 3,400 full-time SpaceX employees and contractors at Starbase. At least 21,400 indirect local jobs have been generated by SpaceX, as stated in the report. SpaceX has spent more than $80 million with Rio Grande Valley (RGV) suppliers for goods and services since Jan. 2023. For a single Starship launch, more than 11,000 people have made a trip to South Texas. This has drawn 20,000 tourists and 16,500 official visitors to the region in 2023 alone. It has an estimated economic impact of $99 million from tourism at Starbase, according to SpaceX officials.
The annual gross economic market value of Starbase in the RGV is more than 6.5 billion. Additionally, the report stated that 800 million dollars’ worth of state and local government capital income and indirect business taxes have been generated by Starbase. SpaceX is investing an additional $400 million to construct one million square feet of manufacturing space and 329,000 square feet of office space at Starbase.
“I want to thank SpaceX for their direct investment in the communities and school districts throughout Cameron County and for helping put south Texas on the map…Their presence has positively affected all the cities within Cameron County through increased tourism and new job opportunities. We look forward to additional growth and investment in the future as SpaceX carries on their mission to explore space, return us to the moon, and colonize Mars,” says Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr.
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