SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas – The shores at Isla Blanca Park are expected to be the place the place a whole bunch of house fans and islanders go to watch a test launch throughout the water at SpaceX’s Starship facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
With the Starship SN8 launch teasingly imminent, South Padre Island has discovered much more vacationers strolling the streets. The view of the SpaceX launch facility just some miles throughout the water.
“Everybody wants to see it happening,” stated James Baxter, a Houston native and South Padre Island transplant.
Tourists like Eric and Tammy Patton traveled from Maryland and have stayed for days in hopes to catch the SN8 prototype fly.
“When we heard about SpaceX and that awesome dude, Elon Musk, we absolutely loved it! He’s like, ‘I’m getting a rocket off in three years’ It took 1 year!” Eric Patton stated.
“We were in California when [SpaceX] did the last one,” Tammy Patton stated. “We were watching, and I was crying. I was so excited!”
They don’t suppose they’ll depart South Padre Island.
“We have a place now for 30 days, and we’re looking for an apartment,” Eric Patton stated.
Local outlets and companies miles away are experiencing a rise in enterprise from SpaceX settling on the town.
“Even in Brownsville, surrounding areas … the hotels … a lot of them are occupied by employees of SpaceX,” Baxter stated.
Baxter is a Space City native now constructing a life close to a budding spaceport.
“I grew up in Houston,” Baxter stated. “We get to hear and feel the rumble every time the engine fires!”
Anna Lyson works at an area store on Padre Boulevard known as Calypso.
“People were saying that this is just for retired folks,” Lyson stated. “I don’t think that’s the case anymore. There’s a lot of young generation making roots down here to be a part of this.”
She is uniquely impacted by SpaceX.
“I’m very proud to say that my husband works for SpaceX, that my husband is working for SpaceX, and we actually moved down from the Pennsylvania area to SPI to kind be a part of this awesome history in the making,” Lyson stated.
She stated she sees this as a very good factor for companies and community-building, however she stated, not everyone seems to be on board.
“There are some people who weren’t too happy with SpaceX coming in here, But at the same time there is just as many people very excited,” Lyson stated.
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