Cowen welcomes Musk’s decision to move SpaceX’s corporate HQ to Boca Chica

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Brownsville Mayor John Cowen has welcomed a decision by Elon Musk to move SpaceX’s corporate headquarters to StarBase, Boca Chica.

Musk made the announcement on his social media platform X.

“This is amazing news,” Cowen said on Facebook. “With this announcement, Space X will continue to significantly advance economic development for our region. Recently, it was announced that SpaceX is the most valuable aerospace company in the world at $210 billion.

In his social media posts, Musk said he was moving SpaceX’s HQ from Hawthorne, California., because of the policies of that state’s governor, Gary Newsom.

According to the Washington Post, Musk said a new Golden State law meant to protect LGBTQ children was the “final straw.”

Musk also said X, which is based in San Francisco, will relocate to Austin

“The CEO of both companies (SpaceX and X) blamed a California law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that bans school districts from requiring that teachers notify parents if their children changes their gender identification,” the Washington Post story, penned by reporter Trisha Thadani, states.

“The law also bars educators from sharing information with parents about a child’s sexual orientation. Musk said he previously made it “clear” to Newsom that “laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.”

A spokesperson for Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In February this year, Rio Grande Valley media outlets revealed that SpaceX has plans to build $100 million worth of office and manufacturing buildings in the Boca Chica area.

McAllen-based industrial real estate developer Bryan Cook told the Rio Grande Guardian: “News of SpaceX moving its headquarters to Boca Chica is certainly good news for the Rio Grande Valley. My understanding is that Hawthorne, Calif, is where SpaceX manufactures the engines for its rockets.”

Cook added: “It would be good to see some of that business and employment move to the Upper Valley, to the McAllen and Edinburg areas. These cities would certainly benefit from the high-tech ventures that SpaceX is bringing to the RGV and open doors to venture capital formation in the RGV.”

Brownsville Mayor John Cowen (third from left) recently took members of the South Texas Alliance of Cities to Starbase, Boca Chica.

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