SpaceX HQ relocation excites local enthusiasts, officials

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — If you have ever visited the SpaceX launch site on Boca Chica Beach, you have seen the massive construction that has taken place in recent years.

Elon Musk's possibility of moving the headquarters of the aerospace manufacturer from California to Texas has excited many.

Louis Balderas, a video producer for Lab Padre, a company that streams nonstop SpaceX content, says it makes sense, considering how Texas is closer to Florida.

“It's a little closer to Florida, where the majority of all the actions are happening," Balderas said. "There are a few launches that happen in California, but not nearly as many as Florida.”

Balderas says the move would also be smart considering SpaceX has asked the Federal Aviation Administration for up to 25 launches per year.

However, Balderas cautions that people should not be as excited as Musk has hinted at a potential move in the past.

“Anytime something seems too good to be true it never really comes to be," Balderas said. "Like I said he mentioned it once before that he was going to move it down here. Never really happened. But right now, there's a lot of political unrest. A lot of things are happening in the world right now, especially here in the United States. And who knows? Maybe he's really going to act on it.”

Brownsville City Commissioner Roy De Los Santos has given his green light to any potential move. He touts its economic effects locally.

“These are more jobs and with the headquarters here this means they will be paying more taxes and more so in local communities, we expect to see a ramp up in manufacturing, which means more jobs locally, and we expect that with their headquarters here they will most likely invest more in the local community," De Los Santos said.

Since SpaceX arrived in the Rio Grande Valley more than a decade ago, environmental groups have opposed the corporation. They say the launches and expansion of the manufacturing facility have destroyed the wildlife at Boca Chica Beach.

De Los Santos says he understands the concerns of environmental groups however, exploration is necessary.

“I share their concerns," he said. "I want to make sure that we do as much to mitigate any negative environmental impacts. Exploration is a necessity for the future of mankind for several reasons and there are very few places in the planet that are conducive to it, and we just happen to be one of them, so we need to capitalize on that while also working to mitigate any effects on the local environment.”