Everything you need to know before visiting SpaceX’s South Texas Launch Site.

📍- Boca Chica Beach, Texas

What happens when you build the world’s most sophisticated rocket launch complex along the shores of one of the most secluded beaches in the United States? For the moment, we receive a once in a millennia opportunity to watch humans reach for the stars whilst listening to the sounds of crashing waves. Beyond that, it is overwhelming to predict what the future of Boca Chica Beach may look like except for the inevitability that it will surely change forever.

Our Trip to Starbase

SpaceX’s South Texas Launch Site at Boca Chica, Texas is better known as Starbase by the company’s employees and enthusiasts, alike. It is here that Elon Musk guides his team of employees as they work around the clock to construct SpaceX’s next generational “Starship” spacecraft, and “Super Heavy” rocket booster combination. When stacked atop one another, the Starship and Super Heavy reach a height of nearly 120 meters, allowing them to claim the title of the tallest rocket ever built. Capable of carrying 100 people at a time, it is the ambitious goal of the SpaceX team that these rapidly reusable Starships will allow the human race to colonize Mars and create a future where space travel is as accessible as boarding a common commercial airplane.

The launch facility stands proudly amid the vast desert landscape, the lack of any other man-made structures making it possible to see the facility’s catch tower, affectionately known as “Mechazillla”, from miles away. Fortunately, for visitors like us who have traveled far and wide to see this spot which may eventually blossom into a bustling spaceport, we have the opportunity to get much, much closer than that.

Texas State Highway 4 is the only road that leads to Starbase, a path frequently traveled during the two weeks that Drew and I spent in the nearby town of Brownsville. Any visit to the launch facility deserves several drives down this road, driven at a speed much slower than the posted limit to not only avoid the potholes but also to take in the many sites along the way. 

We were first greeted by the iconic STARBASE welcome sign, followed closely by a truck-mounted sculpture inspired by the iconic 1932 photograph, “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper”. While currently a mobile art piece, the artist, Sergio Furnari, hopes to make his work a permanent addition to the Starbase landscape as an expression of his admiration for the inspiring work being done by the SpaceX team.

Further down the road, we had the opportunity to stand along the edges of SpaceX property and marvel at the collection of Starship prototypes within their rocket garden. Then, quest to see all things Starbase still unsatisfied, we drove the additional half mile down the road, rolling up onto the sands of Boca Chica Beach. Free to access for all, visitors may choose between watching rocket science in action as they swim in the Gulf of Mexico, seeing the sunset behind the Super Heavy Booster, or having a bonfire in the sand dunes as they search for shooting stars above the illuminated launch pad.

If you want to follow our personal itinerary, though, we would recommend that you do all three.

Why Now is The Time to Visit Starbase

With the unique experience that Starbase is currently giving its visitors, there is a surprising lack of people who make the trek down to this southernmost tip of Texas. This is a sharp contrast to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida which sees a million visitors a year and requires its guests to purchase a pricey entrance ticket for the opportunity to view its launch site from a further distance than you can currently get to the one in Starbase. A chance to watch the construction of some of the most sophisticated pieces of technology ever conceived whilst sitting within miles of untouched natural terrain is not something that we have the chance to experience very often. It should be swarming with photographers and space-loving tourists, yet the tranquility along the beach assures me that we are still in an era akin to a calm before a storm.

While admiring the detail of the Starship iterations at the rocket garden, I offered to snap a picture of a selfie-taking couple alongside me. Dwarfed but grinning before the 50-meter tall rocket ship, I handed them back their camera and told them they were one of the few visitors Drew and I had seen during our stay. Shaking his head in disbelief, he gestured toward the spacecraft behind him and lamented, “I never would have dreamed that we would get within 50 feet of them.” 

This dream, while still within grasp, may not be possible for much longer, for even with the incredible work already done at the launch facility, Starbase is far from reaching its eventual fruition.

So, as Drew and I enjoyed a magnificent drive along the Gulf Coast sand, it was this reasoning that prompted me to turn to him and ask, “Where the heck is everybody?”

The Starbase of the Future

The village of Boca Chica, a tiny community made up of only 40 houses, is now home to Musk and his army of space race engineers. SpaceX has generated thousands of new jobs in the area within the past few years, producing a housing demand for employees that has so far only been met by the placement of temporary airstream parks along the village boundaries. 

But, if Elon’s full vision is realized, Boca Chica village will transform into the city of Starbase, a metropolitan hub where SpaceX employees reside, and space travelers bound for the red planet spend the night before their journey. Communities will be built to provide stationary housing for workers, and all of the amenities that accompany a thriving city will soon follow. It is inevitable that quite soon, the once secluded beach of Boca Chica will sit beside a spaceport supporting the economy of one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, the solitude of its shores a thing of distant memory.

After my visit to Boca Chica, my head consumed with visions of a Starbase future, I had the pleasure of meeting with Eliana Sheriff, a reporter and content creator who gives her viewers coverage on all things Musk Industries through her Ellie in Space YouTube Channel. I asked her to explain, in her own words, why people should take the opportunity to visit Starbase as soon as possible. “Because you’ll never get a chance to get up close and personal like this to these rockets ever again,” she said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to stand beside history as it’s being made before our eyes.”

The SpaceX Controversy

While exciting to many, the thought of change is alarming to some. As an ecologist, I personally cringe when thinking of the nesting sea turtles, wondering how many of them will travel further than intended from the ocean when disoriented by the bright lights of the launch pad. I worry about migrating birds who are known to become distracted by new and obtrusive artificial lights. Rightfully so, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has spent months creating an environmental assessment for the impending Starship launch, twice delaying their review deadline to address every public comment. In addition, most of the citizens who once called the quiet village of Boca Chica home have sold their houses to SpaceX, abandoning the town in which many of them have spent their entire lives. Make no mistake, however, the impact of their work on Boca Chica and beyond is not lost on Musk and his team.

I believe that the vision to make life multi-planetary is simply far larger than one beach in southern Texas. Sometimes, incredible things require sacrifice, but they are done with the forethought that they will one day be tremendously worth it. It is not Musk’s goal to disorient sea turtles or to disrupt the nesting habitat of birds, but to give life the opportunity to flourish beyond Earth and even beyond our solar system. SpaceX operates on the mission to bring life to Mars, both human and otherwise. As stated by Elon Musk himself during a Starship Update Event on February 10, 2022, “We are life’s guardians…The creatures who we love cannot build spaceships, but we can, and we can take them with us.” In this way, I am reminded that progress always has a way of being painful, but a bit of discomfort is what is necessary if we ever hope to colonize the stars.

There are many who think that we will never reach the red planet, but by looking back on Musk’s impressive track record, I am encouraged that, while he may not always be on time, he does eventually reach success.

Tips for Visiting Starbase

If all of this was enough to convince you to take a trip down to Starbase, there are a few things you should be aware of in order to optimize your trip.

1. Since there are currently no restaurants, stores, or food stands close to Boca Chica beach, come prepared with everything you will need for the day including sunblock, towels, drinks, and food. 

2. You are allowed to drive onto the sand, but we don’t recommend it unless you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle. We saw plenty of cars get themselves stuck in the deep layers of sand toward the entrance of the beach during our time at Starbase. This is a very quick way to ruin any trip to the beach, so if you are unsure of your car’s ability to handle the sand, park off of it and carry your belongings close to the water.

3. Due to frequent testing of SpaceX’s “Raptor Engines”, the roads leading to Boca Chica beach are frequently closed to the public. It’s important that you check the current schedule of road closures here to avoid a large disappointment on your way to the shore.

4. While on the beach, be mindful not to disturb the plants and wildlife among the sand dunes. Sea turtle nesting takes place between March and October, so be careful where you step to avoid harming any eggs.

5. If you are visiting Starbase in hopes of seeing a launch, consider staying at, and purchasing a ticket to view the event, at Rocket Ranch. Located on the Rio Grande, you can stay here in an RV, rent out one of their small trailers, or opt for their space-themed cabin. Located 8 miles from the launch pad, they own the closest observation station for viewing a SpaceX launch

6. Stay up to date on the progress of all SpaceX activity using one of the many free live stream channels that can be found online. Personally, LabPadre is a long-time favorite.

Have you ever been to Starbase and have an amazing experience to share? Perhaps you haven’t gone yet, but are dying to make the drive. Be sure to comment down below so that we can inspire future travelers together!

Thank you for joining us at Discovery Detour, where the destination is always unknown.