Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. has an ambitious vision to launch reusable rockets into outer space carrying humans, not just satellites, someday.
But to accomplish those lofty goals, rocket manufacturer SpaceX needs water for many different purposes, from cooling mechanisms to municipal use for the city of Starbase.
South Texas communities and businesses rely on the Rio Grande for most of the water used by agricultural, industrial, commercial, and residential customers.
SpaceX purchased its own slice of the Rio Grande River directly, known as water rights, according to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality records reviewed by the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal.
Most Read
- SpaceX’s futuristic city of Starbase finalizes massive 7,100-acre annexation. Here’s what we know.
- SpaceX reschedules Starship’s first flight around the Earth
- How much water does SpaceX need to operate near Brownsville? Nearly 20x its current use
- Could apartment-to-condo conversion help make $100K homeownership in the McAllen metro more affordable? One investor says yes.
- Crunch Fitness is expanding and struggling in the Valley. Here’s why
Get the latest business news delivered to your inbox every morning for free.
Try 30 Days Free!
Get full access to award-winning journalism covering business, real estate, health care, economic trends, and the people shaping the Rio Grande Valley.
30 Days Free!
$9.95/month
Limited time offer
Subscription renews after your 30 day free trial at $9.95/mo.
Included Benefits
- Unlimited access to all articles
- Daily business news and analysis
- Subscriber-only content and features
Stories That Matter
- Construction begins on Saronic’s $3.2B Brownsville shipyard. Here’s what’s being built first
- Nearly $472M AI data center moves toward construction in Willacy County
- Tamaulipas is rethinking how it sells its cattle. A $44.5M project would keep more of the business at home
- Brownsville is changing its drainage fee. Businesses could pay more as the city looks to raise $6.2M a year
- Mission’s first Small Business Expo puts $25K on the line for local entrepreneurs
- Reynosa’s newest technical high school focuses on AI, semiconductors and bionics
- McCoy’s gives $10K, tools to launch Mid-Valley construction academy
- UT Health RGV performs new digestive procedure for first time in the Valley
- TSTC bets on advanced manufacturing to meet RGV’s industrial boom
- Pharr’s cross-border business push earns international recognition