Texas has waited four years to see a ship blast off from south Texas. And SpaceX has just confirmed that the Brownsville launchpad will be activated late this year. For many nearby residents, frustration over a mostly silent SpaceX has outweighed excitement or concern over the project.
From Texas Public Radio:
On a rainy day in February, the Boca Chica area is fogged in. Terry Heaton stands on a raised porch in his backyard. He squints into the light rain.
“You can’t see it now but we have a beautiful view of Port Isabell. We see deer up here a lot of coyotes. I mean yeah it’s like right there, like boom,” he says, pointing towards the coast.
Heaton lives in Boca Chica village, a lonely 45-minute drive from the border city of Brownsville.
He’s lived here for 18 years with his wife Bonnie, whose name is emblazoned on his left bicep. He’s a retired construction worker.
