Before SpaceX can colonize Mars, it looks like the space exploration and transportation giant is trying to develop the stretches of land surrounding its Starbase launch site in Boca Chica, South Texas.
In a more corporate way, though, which The Wall Street Journal delves into in its latest profile on Elon Musk’s company.
Of the 30-something small ranch houses that populate the area surrounding SpaceX’s launch facility, most have accepted buyout offers from SpaceX that were too good to pass up. Those houses are now used by SpaceX as accommodations for employees and more.
A handful of homeowners have held out, however, refusing multiple offers from billionaire Elon Musk-owned SpaceX.
“SpaceX bullied us from the beginning”, said Celia Johnson, who owns one of the holdout properties that SpaceX has not yet been able to purchase. “SpaceX employees did what they wanted”, she added.
Celia has been at odds with SpaceX on a number of occasions — not only has she regularly declined SpaceX’s offers to purchase the two houses she owns, she has had problems with SpaceX employees allegedly breaking into her vacant houses, sleeping in them, and water tanks at the properties going missing.
SpaceX has denied any responsibility for the events but has reimbursed her for each instance.
After numerous delays, SpaceX was finally able to test launch the latest prototype of its Starship spacecraft, SN15, at its Boca Chica facility earlier this week. The test launch saw success across the board, with a successful liftoff and a smooth landing for the first time, without exploding.
