Here are the SpaceX employees who were elected to run Musk’s new company town of Starbase, Texas
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/05/spacex-employees-were-elected-to-run-new-company-town-starbase-texas.html
Here are the SpaceX employees who were elected to run Musk’s new company town of Starbase, Texas
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/05/spacex-employees-were-elected-to-run-new-company-town-starbase-texas.html
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Over the weekend, [Elon Musk](https://www.cnbc.com/elon-musk/) got his new company town along the Texas Gulf Coast. Controlling the city are three SpaceX employees, who all ran unopposed.
As NBC News [reported](https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/welcome-starbase-population-283-rcna204214), the election determining incorporation of the city of Starbase concluded on Saturday night, with 212 votes in favor and only six against. Just 143 votes were needed for the measure to pass.
Starbase was victorious in becoming a type C city, which in Texas applies to a previously unincorporated city, town or village of between 201 and 4,999 inhabitants. The city includes the SpaceX launch facility and company-owned land covering a 1.6 square-mile area.
The mayor is 36-year-old Bobby Peden, who has spent more than 12 years working for SpaceX and is currently vice president for Texas test and launch operations. Prior to joining the rocket maker in 2013, Peden was a graduate research assistant at the University of Texas at Austin, according to his [LinkedIn profile.](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-peden-318b4657/details/experience/)
Starbase has two commissioners, both from the SpaceX employee ranks.
One is Jenna Petrzelka, 39, who was an operations engineering manager at SpaceX until July, and now identifies as a philanthropist, according to her application to be on the ballot. She’s married to [Joe Petrzelka](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepetrzelka/), a vice president of Starship engineering and almost 14-year veteran at SpaceX.
The other commissioner is [Jordan Buss](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-buss/), 40, a senior director of environmental health and safety for SpaceX who joined the company in 2023.
Musk, who has assumed a central role in [President Donald Trump’s](https://www.cnbc.com/donald-trump/) administration responsible for slashing the size of the federal government, began acquiring land for SpaceX in Boca Chica, Texas, about a decade ago. The first integrated Starship vehicle [launched](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/20/spacex-starship-orbital-launch-attempt-live-updates.html) from the site, known as Starbase, in April 2023, and exploded in mid-flight.
More: [https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/05/spacex-employees-were-elected-to-run-new-company-town-starbase-texas.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/05/spacex-employees-were-elected-to-run-new-company-town-starbase-texas.html)
So, we’re back to company towns? That worked out well for employees the first time. Are we great yet?
This is so goddamned bleak. I hope they name Dystopinople
I mean, musk basically wants a company town mars colony – with him in charge. Given his forays into politics one has to wonder what kind of dystopian experience that might be. Except in a Martian company town, the company owns the air you breathe.
Disneyworld is the “town” of Lake Buena Vista, FL which is basically the same concept. If it’s a large enough footprint, it kinda makes sense. You’re still dealing with county/state rules but for a proportional presence that size, the company would basically be running the show anyway at the municipal level.
news about space flight could be so cool (not sure what i think about this one) if i dint have to read this gross name in every second headline
You will own nothing and be happy. I’ll assume the currency is some dickwad crypto coin…..
“One is Jenna Petrzelka, 39, who was an operations engineering manager at SpaceX until July, and now identifies as a philanthropist”
Translation, “I’m fucking rich and I love a position of power”
I got hounded hard on the SpaceX sub for suggestioning that a company town was weird and leads to bad things.
Who stood up for coal miners and their company stores? The miners. This is going to be up to the employees to solve. I’m sure they can leave a job easier than the miners could.
This is going to fail so spectacularly I absolutely cannot wait.