Voters in South Texas have overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to establish Elon Musk's SpaceX launch cite as its own city. Residents of the remote community surrounding Starbase voted 173 to 4 in favour of the incorporation effort, according to preliminary results posted on the county election website from the early voting period. They also approved the city's first elected officials, all three of whom are current or former SpaceX employees and ran unopposed.

Almost all of the residents within the 1.45-square mile territory are Mr Musk's employees at the massive manufacturing facility that dominates the beachfront town, or their family members. This does not allow the tech billionaire to adopt any and all regulations he wishes, but it will give the company unique authority to set the pace of its own development in the area.

The new city commission will have authority over zoning, building projects and other aspects of life.

Over the past seven years, SpaceX has transformed Boca Chica into a production site for the development of its powerful Starship rocket, the vehicle Mr Musk wishes to use to colonise Mars.

The company is, however, grappling with housing issues for the hundreds of employees who wish to live near its headquarters.

A recent proposal to build exra townhouses was turned down by the county.

Approximately 260 SpaceX staff members live there, with their partners and families bringing the total population to nearly 500.

An extra 3,100 workers commute from Brownsville, the nearest major city, or other locations.