ReportWire

Tag: Laura Baker

  • Elon Musk’s SpaceX drives $13 billion economic impact in South Texas

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    BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A recent report indicates that SpaceX is generating immense economic growth in South Texas, where the company recently established its rocket launching facility.

    According to an impact study released by Cameron County, the company’s Starbase headquarters have added over $13 billion to the South Texas economy over the past two years.

    The growth comes after Elon Musk officially moved his company’s headquarters in 2024 from California to Starbase, a corporate community that was incorporated by Cameron County residents in a nearly unanimous vote this May.

    The move has supported 24,000 direct and indirect jobs across the region in the past two years, according to the report. In 2024, the complex employed 3,400 people. This year an additional 900 jobs were reported, and county officials said they expect this growth to continue. According to the Rio Grande Guardian, Commissioner Tino Villarreal said by next year the facility is expected to employ up to 8,000 people.

    “While Starbase operates close to the coast, every city in Cameron County and the Rio Grande Valley shares in the benefits — stronger schools, more tourism, and new high-paying job opportunities,” Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said in a statement. “As SpaceX expands their production capabilities, bringing high-paying manufacturing and engineering jobs directly to Starbase, we will continue to see a new age of growth for all of South Texas happening right here in Cameron County.”

    In the report, SpaceX said it has also generated more than $305 million in indirect tax revenue over the past two years. In 2024, the company said it did business with over 350 suppliers, putting $147 million into the regional supply chain.

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    Laura Baker

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  • New East Austin rocket lab to train upcoming aerospace workforce

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    AUSTIN, Texas — As the rapidly expanding space sector continues to thrive in Texas, two organizations are teaming up to train the industry’s future leaders.

    The Space Workforce Incubator for Texas, or SWIFT, and the Hayes Innovation Center for Advanced Manufacturing, or HICAM, announced their plan to launch an inaugural rocket lab this fall. The SWIFT Rocket Lab will run out of HICAM’s 50,000-square-foot facility in East Austin and integrate training in aerospace and advanced manufacturing for local students.

    “This is about creating a launchpad for the next generation of Texas industry,” Innovation Center Executive Director Marcus Metzger said in a release. “Rockets represent the pinnacle of advanced manufacturing, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in materials, design and automation. By launching the SWIFT Rocket Lab at our facility, we are not just building hardware; we are building a direct pipeline from the classroom to the cosmos, and cementing Texas’s role as a leader in both space and manufacturing.”

    Students from Austin Community College’s rocket club and surrounding institutions will design, build and manufacture rockets and prototype aerospace components. The idea to pair manufacturing with aerospace training stems from their philosophy the two are interdependent.

    “This collaboration reflects our belief that space and advanced manufacturing must grow together,” Geoff Tudor, president of SWIFT, said in a release. “The SWIFT Rocket Lab at HICAM will provide hands-on experience blending design, fabrication and testing of supersonic rocket structures into one experience — exactly the vertical integration that space companies need as their competitive edge.”

    It’s a timely launch for students hoping to enter the space industry. With an increased demand for commercial investment and space-based services, the global space economy is projected to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2035, according to the World Economic Forum. Leon Vanstone, co-founder of SWIFT, said they aim to boost entry into the aerospace workforce.   

    “If you go talk to employers like SpaceX, Firefly and Blue Origin, what they’ll tell you is that what they’re looking for in the students they recruit is they want to see an example where a student tries something and it failed…They learn from that.” Vanstone said according to the Austin Business Journal.

    The rocket lab plans to collaborate with aerospace and advanced manufacturing companies in Texas, according to the Austin American-Statesman. It will additionally pursue grants opportunities and funding from entities such the Texas Space Commission.

    SWIFT, a nonprofit 501(c)(3), began last year to address a need for increased training and education within the space industry. HICAM is an economic and workforce development nonprofit focused on accelerating innovation in advanced manufacturing. Their facility includes classrooms equipped to support manufacturing.

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    Laura Baker

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