Boca Chica, Texas: From Beach Side Village to A Starbase

From our launch broadcast of the Second Flight Test of Starship. Ian Atkinson provides a history of Boca Chica and the development of SpaceX's Starbase.
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🤵 Hosted & Written by Ian Atkinson.
✂️ Edited by Sawyer Rosenstein.
💼 Produced by Kevin Michael Reed (@kmreed).
🔍 If you are interested in using footage from this video, please review our content use policy: www.nasaspaceflight.com/conte...
L2 Boca Chica (more clips and photos) from BC's very early days to today.
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[@NASASpaceflight]

By popular demand, we are releasing all of our playbacks from the Live Broadcast of Starship Test Flight 2. This video ends at the morning of launch. If you're looking for Starship Test Flight 2 in flight, check our our other videos: Here's a few: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJm1qKtundSjnpY kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmPPlZSwhqyajKM kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4K7d3qOds-egtU

[@U_Geek]

The fact they went from basically no launch infrastructure and hoppy tests to a full blown rocket factory that has already supported 2 flights of the worlds largest rocket in just 4 years is insane.

[@johndoepker7126]

For real !!! 4 yrs...lookin back at Hoppy and his lil dirt patch...to a full-blown launch and production facility....seems like a lifetime ago....but it's ONLY been 4....short....years....It is truly mind blowing!!!!

[@citizenblue]

Yes! But most people don't think about it in proper context. This is light speed as far as development programs for large rockets go.

[@hamzahkhan8952]

@@citizenbluetrue. it kinda like how development was during the space race in 1960s

[@petedig5809]

@@hamzahkhan8952 NASA went from a tin can on a missile to the moon in 8 years, including an 18 month hiatus after the pad fire. Now that's really insane.

[@hamzahkhan8952]

@@petedig5809absolutely. I wish I had got to witness those times. maybe I'll get to witness humanity's first step on mars instead in some time.

[@jasonm9336]

I would definitely watch an hour long expanded version of this video!!!

[@larrycbrown1]

and include boca chica gal mary

[@jasonmcgee7457]

I was really hoping this would be a video all about the infrastructure rather than the rockets. There has been so many videos on the history of the rockets and this is just that again. There was no mention of the tents, midbay, star command, the main office building or how most of the houses have been bought by SpaceX for employees and most have also received full solar roofs from Tesla. So much more than this, especially at the launch pad. Again, I’m really wanting a timeline of all of this incredible infrastructure that was built over 4ish years and it definitely seemed like this video would do this, but it didn’t. Just another history of the rocket tests.

[@dave882]

Yeah plus releasing this today just seems incomplete. Would have loved to hear all about the actual development there.

[@T_Mo271]

Agreed, more about Boca Chica would be nice.

[@Obvsaninternetexpert]

Yeah... The title made me think this was a history of boca.... it seems to be a history of starship ... which is weird cos there is 100 of these vids already

[@MickRonald]

Nice overview of the history of Boca Chica and Starbase. Didn’t realize the village origin only went back to 1967. Also wondered why there were just about 30 homes built. Thanks NSF.

[@kevinenoch7583]

We want more of Ian Atkinson!!!

[@Yggdrasil42]

I had hoped this video was about the relationship between the village and the starbase, i.e. what it's like to have a rocket industry come to a small town.

[@EuloSounds]

Unverbelieverable. Great respect for what SpaceX has achieved in so few years.

[@graham8316]

Thanks for this! I miss the vibes from the 2019-2020 era! It's fun now too but I remember checking on it each day back then because we never knew what was going to be happening.

[@ruudbremer]

"SPOILER ALERT" I know already what's gonna happen to Flight 2.

[@SigmaFridge]

aint no way you know that

[@paulreinhardt6052]

Impossible! It’s not until tomorrow.

[@hamzahkhan8952]

you have unlocked the secret of time travel! 😯

[@davelcx1958]

That was a great overview for someone like me who tried to keep track of what was happening with the rocket testing at Boca Chica but never connected the dots for the overall big picture. So thanks, NSF, for that excellent historical snapshot and keep up the good work ... it's much appreciated.

[@BCR81]

I really hope to visit there one day. Really a magical place

[@TroyRubert]

Great job on this one guys.

[@Simone_85]

Congratulations NSF team. 🚩

[@ThexBorg]

Great narrative Ian, thanks for the journey.

[@corrinastanley125]

Great summary Ian, thanks.

[@ianatkinson2642]

Thank you!

[@jonny3003]

BFR, the big falcon rocket... Oh common!

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

What's common about it?? 😂🤣

[@larrycbrown1]

the F does not mean Falcon... it is the other F word :(

[@faisalsvideoworld]

Wow thank you for the history lesson

[@iandennis1]

Great overview.

[@jwortman1984]

Keep the content coming!

[@Pottery4Life]

When you remake this into an hour+ long, in-depth, detailed history of Boca Chica / Starbase, please include the evolution of the NSF Tank Watchers including NSF member/contributor interviews. Thank you.

[@jasmin.wonka1314]

Danke für die deutsche Version

[@Dioptreskillz]

World be nice to see a time lapse of the launch and build site over last 3 years

[@jellybean7994]

Bruh Jack really is an OG🫨 From filming the hopper flight test to filming the best IFT2 video👌

[@elijahlong7791]

And Bacon

[@zapfanzapfan]

Stranger rides into town and builds a spaceship on the beach 🚀 🙂

[@GaryBarclay]

I was looking forward to Boca Chica in depth, sorry but title a little misleading, this is more a Starship history

[@proesterchen]

Mk1 to orbit! 🚀 Those were the days. 🤣🤣

[@stevengaming3689]

Great content NSF Team!

[@chadwynia5021]

Need one of these for KSC to show its progression

[@robertbester]

Very good video. Thank you very much Mary, and all of NSF for documenting history.

[@timboatfield]

*_Big Falcon Rocket!?_* Are you falcon kidding me?!

[@BenjySparky]

NSF y'all rock! Peace

[@michaelbertoldi1022]

Really impressive 👏 and important, as a lot of us watching today as well as me weren't following the development of the program by that time.

[@Supman1]

My only suggestion to help viewers would be to have dates at the bottom of the screen of each flight, but amazing video nevertheless.

[@ThompPL1]

0:43 . . . Where were the other 6 potential Starship factory & launch sites ?

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

You misheard something because I heard nothing about 6 potential launch sites. It said they "considered" seven sites around the US before deciding to build at Boca Chica, Texas. You know you look at seven houses and decide on one closest to the bar so you can walk home at night!! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[@paulreinhardt6052]

My recollection was Hopper (or one of those) was built to full height, but a storm blew the top half off?

[@mattfarrar5472]

Does anyone else remember the nosecone that was built along side starhopper that blew over in the wind....

[@Jack-B-Human]

Did we just go back in time?

[@glitchered]

that's a "scrapped" video? nice recap tho. appreciate the late upload. gotta say, ian got a good recording voice for this documentory style of footage. yo :)

[@kjm-ch7jc]

This is more about the rockets than the building site.

[@EaglesFan202]

Why Was SN15 Scrapped😢

[@Livlifetaistdeth]

Are the buildings there hurricane proof? Obviously the tents aren't but the high bay's?

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Come on!? Do you really think you can build something that tall and wide that could resist a Cat 5 hurricane?? Fortunately for Space X hurricane Harvey hit south Texas in 2017 before Space X started building there. But some day. . . . .

[@heribertoresto6967]

Minute 4:01 some one standing clpse to rocket died look close

[@jdos5643]

That was a test dummy

[@ManifestationsOfTheLight]

This is today

[@fkgamingfx]

German Audio, nice!

[@stanleykelley4284]

SpaceX needs to build a lunar lander for Falcon Heavy, just in case the space ship is delayed for some reason.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

You're kidding right? It would take longer to design and build that lander then for Space X to complete testing of starship to ready it for the Artemis 3 mission which will be late of course, but not as late as Heavy lander.

[@stanleykelley4284]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 Thanks for the input. I don't know what I am talking about, when it comes to a space ship. The way the FAA are delaying everything, I was just thinking what if. Thanks again for the input.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

@@stanleykelley4284 It takes a lot of effort to keep up with everything going on with the starship development and federal oversight. I expect that come 2024 Space X should be able to up their cadence in test flights. It should exciting to watch.

[@RevyCruz]

What are the environmental damages caused by these rocket launches and is Space X and others taking responsibility? I am sure the people of Cameron County would love to know about that as well.

[@mayhem8166]

Wasn't there an ITS rocket in there very early on... Interplanetary Transport System?

[@FastSloth87]

Yes, ITS was scaled down into BFR before the announcement that Boca Chica would be it's birthplace.

[@marsspacex6065]

Over the next year the amount of building will be crazy.

[@robturner9736]

I dont think must people realize is starbase was supposed to be tor falcon heavy

[@antonybastin3432]

👍👍👍🇮🇳

[@user-wx9xq8sb7k]

Congratulations to Elon and the team, amazing development, get your ass to Mars

[@transmaster]

The lawsuit by the The Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation claiming Boca Chica is their sacred land is laughable. They Claim to have come from Northern Mexico and were they were known as the Comecrudo. Here is what makes there claim of scared land such a joke. They say they moved into the area in the 18th century from Tamaulipas, in North East Mexico. The problem is this area in Mexico was first inhabited by the Olmec and later Chichimec and Huastec tribes. Finally the Aztec took control. The Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation is not recognized by Texas, the Bureau of Indian affairs, or any other recognized Indian nation.

[@bricktop7803]

I thought it was Sawyer commenting, through a voice changer. Smoothing out the high and low pitch, slowing his speech down, and deepening his voice a tad. Sawyer gets too carried away when talking about Boca and starship, he just gets too excited...lol. But yup, its a good synopsis of Boca Chica. I reckon the Texas Govt sold Musk a pup with Boca Chica and offered incentives. It is the worst possible site to carry out Rocket Launches. But he is using it as a research and Dev site, and will end up being a quite limited production site. Until the next hurricane rips the site apart and SpaceX moves to another suitable location.

[@therichieboy]

1000th like woop woop look at me etc

[@wojecire]

Should have been updated before uploading imo, but w/e

[@squidkid2]

It's pronounced DEL-HUGE not DEL-LUGE. There is only one L in Deluge. Please look up the pronunciation in the dictionary. Everyone on this website is mis-pronouncing this word.

[@T_Mo271]

Consider DAY-LUGE.

[@maultwo]

Boca Chica wasn't mere unbuildable wetlands, it was a thriving natural utopia with the most sacred ecosystem that should have been protected at all costs from the horrid industrial Musk-led SpaceX. How dare you!

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

😂😅🤣😂😅

[@hamzahkhan8952]

Im a spacex fan, but I agree with you. Unfortunately, since the industrial revolution, almost everything humans do causes harm to nature.

[@maultwo]

@@hamzahkhan8952 Dude...

[@herrjohnssen]

This video was published a week after IFT-2 and you didn't have the time to update it to include IFT-2 and leaving the part where you say "which is set to fly today" a week after it flew. You can't tell me you didn'T have the time to redo this line and say one or two things about IFT-2.

[@NASASpaceflight]

We are releasing all of our IFT2 playbacks as our members have asked us to do. If we added the flight to every video, that would be a bit overkill. So we are releasing them as is. --kmr

[@brianw612]

This entire facility should be restored to it's natural state with all operations moved to the Florida cape. This is the wrong location for a launch complex.

[@charmich]

Why?

[@hamzahkhan8952]

its mostly a test site. operrational flight should be mainly from florida

[@samardevneo]

Alternative Title: How capitalist eschatology colonised and exploited a small community and the landscape around it.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

American industry is good at that in the name of progress or so they say!

[@user-et4dl5ed4k]

RUS NI PEACE DA