Oct. 13, 2026 · SpaceX has state permit coverage for 45.95 acres of construction at a site Texas lists as "Starbase Massey 2"

October 13, 2026 · Starbase · Permits

SpaceX has state permit coverage for 45.95 acres of construction at a site Texas lists as "Starbase Massey 2"

Aerial view of SpaceX's Massey's test site, a strip of pavement and buildings inside a bend of the Rio Grande, surrounded by brush — File photo: Massey's test site from the air, June 2022, inside a bend of the Rio Grande. Mexico is across the river. The site has grown since, and this photo does not show where the new work is. Photo: USDA National Agriculture Imagery Program, via USGS.

SpaceX has state permit coverage for construction at what Texas lists as the "Starbase Massey 2 Site," at 1 Massey Way. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality records show the authorization, TXR1552ZQ, active since Monday, Oct. 5, for 45.95 acres of industrial construction through an estimated May 31, 2027.

What it is: coverage under the state's general permit for storm water runoff from construction sites. SpaceX filed a notice of intent, and TCEQ approved it on Oct. 5, the day it was received. It is not a building permit, and the state's record doesn't describe what will be built.
The numbers: 45.95 acres disturbed, listed as "industrial" construction, with an estimated start of Oct. 5, 2026 and end of May 31, 2027. Runoff from the site goes to the tidal Rio Grande.
Where: 1 Massey Way, the address TCEQ lists for SpaceX's existing Massey site off Highway 4. The record doesn't map the 45.95 acres. Its map point is the existing site.
Who found it: ELON CHRON's Oct. 12 roundup credits Niall Anderson with spotting the filing.

Why it matters here: Massey's is where SpaceX runs cryogenic tests on boosters and test tanks. Booster 23 rolled out overnight, headed there for its first round, NASASpaceflight photographer Ceaser G posted. The city's Oct. 7 development agreement also covers about 166 acres along Massey Way, outside city limits, per its packet version. Our story on that vote. The permit doesn't say whether this work is on that land.

Nov. 3 election: early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19 to Friday, Oct. 30, at 21 sites in Cameron County, per the county elections office. Weekday hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the first week and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. the second. Weekend hours vary by site. The list includes the South Padre Island Community Center, Port Isabel City Hall and the Southmost Public Library in Brownsville. The county's current Election Day list has 59 vote centers.

This morning: the city lists no road delays or public notices, and Boca Chica Beach is open.

Sources: TCEQ, authorization TXR1552ZQ (read Oct. 13) · ELON CHRON, Oct. 12 · Ceaser G on X, Oct. 13 (Booster 23) · Cameron County, Nov. 3 early voting locations (PDF) · Cameron County, Nov. 3 Election Day vote centers (PDF) · City of Starbase, beach and road access (read Oct. 13) · Photo: USDA NAIP aerial imagery, June 2022, via USGS

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