We’ve been in South Texas for nearly three weeks now, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: January and early February aren’t exactly ideal times to visit the Rio Grande Valley. It’s been a bit chilly, overcast, and windy. But today, the skies finally cleared, and with the sun peeking through, I decided it was the perfect time to let my inner space geek shine. Destination? Starbase, Texas.
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What is Starbase, Texas?
Glad you asked!
Starbase is a private rocket production facility, test site, and spaceport developed by SpaceX. It’s located at Boca Chica, about 20 miles east of Brownsville, right on the Gulf Coast. Here, just a short walk from the beach, Elon Musk has built a launch complex with one goal in mind: to send humans to Mars.
This is where SpaceX is developing and testing Starship, the next-generation spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
About a month ago, we toured the Johnson Space Center in Houston—a beautiful tribute to the history of space exploration. Today, we get to step into the future of space travel. And let me tell you—it was absolutely incredible.
Seeing Starbase Up Close
Starbase feels more like a futuristic construction zone than a polished tourist attraction. There’s ongoing development everywhere—prototype rockets in various stages of assembly, roads being built, new facilities going up. It’s raw, real, and buzzing with innovation.
And what amazed me most? Just how close we could get to the action.
Right there beside the road, you can see full-scale Starship rockets and Super Heavy boosters towering over the landscape. For a lifelong space enthusiast like me, it was the kind of thing that makes you stop in your tracks.
Even though we didn’t get to witness a launch, the opportunity to see the hardware up close was a bucket-list moment.
The chance to witness a rocket close-up is drawing tourists from around the world to this remote stretch of the Texas coast.
Starship and its giant first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, stand tall alongside the launch pad.
Getting There
Getting to Starbase is easy. Just head east on Highway 4 from Brownsville, and keep going. You can’t miss it—literally. The road dead-ends at the launch facility and Boca Chica Beach. It’s as close to the edge of the earth as you can get in Texas.
What We Saw
The highlight of the day was seeing multiple Starship prototypes standing tall and ready for testing. I found myself wishing we could stick around long enough to see one of them fly. Back then, the first orbital test flight of Starship was expected in March 2022, though delays (as usual) were expected.
One intriguing piece we spotted was the retired Starhopper test vehicle, now repurposed as a water tank. At first glance, I honestly thought it was some kind of makeshift moon habitat—it has a quirky, patchwork appearance. But no, it actually flew back in 2019. Space history in the wild!
For scale, these rockets may look short on their own, but that’s just the upper stage. When paired with the Super Heavy booster, the full Starship stack stands as the largest and most powerful rocket system ever built.
A Return Visit to Starbase
A few days later, while driving to South Padre Island, I glanced out the window and saw something incredible: the entire Starship stack on the launch pad. We didn’t think twice—we rerouted our day and headed straight back to Starbase.
We hoped we might witness a launch, but it turned out the rocket was stacked for an Elon Musk press conference. Still, it was thrilling to get such a close-up view of the fully assembled system. Sadly, our visit was cut short when we were asked to leave the area after about an hour.
At the time, it sounded like the orbital test flight would be delayed due to the ongoing FAA environmental impact assessment, so it was unclear when the rocket would actually fly. That’s the nature of cutting-edge spaceflight—plenty of excitement, with a healthy dose of red tape.
The Changing Face of Boca Chica
SpaceX has completely transformed the Boca Chica area. They’ve purchased most of the homes in the Kopernik Shores neighborhood and retrofitted them with Tesla Solar Roofs and charging stations. The community is slowly evolving into a futuristic company town.
There’s even an Airstream trailer park set up for SpaceX employees, right in the middle of the neighborhood. It’s clear that Starbase isn’t just a launch site—it’s becoming an ecosystem.
Final Thoughts
If you’re into space, rockets, or just fascinated by the future of human exploration, Starbase is a must-see. It’s not polished. It’s not a theme park. It’s real, gritty, and absolutely awe-inspiring.
I could’ve stayed all day, soaking in the sights and imagining what it would be like to ride one of those rockets to the stars. But I promised Lisa we’d head to South Padre Island—so, off we went. (She puts up with my geekiness like a champ.)
Have you been to Starbase, Texas? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
What interesting places can you recommend?
We’re always on the lookout for unique, out-of-the-way experiences to add to our list.
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Planning to go by the end of this year or early next year. Thanks for the great pics and info!
Hi Ray, I hope you have as great of a time as we did!
Rob