As of September 1, 2025, a new regulation has come into effect that has left the citizens of Texas in a bind. This is the approval of House Bill 5246, through which Starbase, the city created by Elon Musk, is granted the authority to close one of the city’s main routes. This is State Highway 4, the road that connects the SpaceX facilities with the only access to Boca Chica beach. This means that the Texas Space Commission will be able to close this road to residents and citizens whenever SpaceX schedules a launch.
According to information from KRGV 5 News, until now it was the Texas county that had that power, which has now entirely passed to Elon Musk’s company. This new legislation not only affects the authorization of road closures, but also has redefined the competences of the different agencies involved with the development and aerospace economy of Texas, such as TARSEC in Consoeico, the Spaceport Trust Fund, or the Aerospace and Aviation Office.
Starbase, SpaceX
We all know Elon Musk, the owner of the well-known electric vehicle brand Tesla. We also know that his business empire does not end there. In 2002, he founded SpaceX, an aerospace company dedicated to the design, manufacture, and launch of rockets and spacecraft. Located in Texas, United States, Starbase is a city created by Musk, serving as the headquarters and production and launch center for his company’s Starship rocket program. It is a spaceport where all the production and development facilities for the rockets are located.
New aerospace legislation in Texas
As if the power that Musk already has and exercises were not enough, the Texas county has decided to give a little more. As of September 1, 2025, House Bill 5246, approved by the state legislature, came into effect. This new legislation gives SpaceX the authority to temporarily close city roads during the launch of its rockets
Although the law does not explicitly mention it, this new regulation directly affects State Highway 4, the only road that connects Starbase with Boca Chica beach, and through which thousands of tourists and residents pass daily. While this power has always been in the hands of county authorities, as indicated by KRGV 5 News, it will now fall upon Musk’s company.
New modifications
The new modifications are not just limited to road closures, but also entail a redefinition of the roles of the various agencies involved in the aerospace development and economy of Texas. The other agencies that have undergone changes are:
- Aerospace and Aviation Office. It eliminates direct support for spaceports and redirects its goal towards research and promotion of economic and educational opportunities.
- Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee. It does not have representation from the development corporations of these ports, with a total of 7 qualified members.
- Texas Space Commission. It established new priorities in space innovation, commercial and military. It now has a directive with 9 members with voting rights and extended its validity until September 1, 2033.
- Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund. Its main functions are to finance human flight technologies, space research, workforce training, and infrastructure development for the industry.
- TARSEC Consortium. It maintains its role as an advisory committee in research.
- Spaceports Trust Fund. Eliminated since September 1.The objective of this reform is to strengthen the leadership of the state’s civil, commercial, and military space activities.
How do these changes affect Boca Chica?
Although it is still unknown how often these road closures will occur, residents are completely stunned. How is it possible that my beach day is conditioned by Musk’s desire to launch rockets? Regardless, from now on, both citizens and residents will have to pay attention to the official announcements from Starbase to be able to organize their travel.
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