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SpaceX is hiring a Spaceport resort developer for its Texas rocket factory
SpaceX has big plans to ferry travelers to Mars in the near future, and part of that venture looks to include luxury accommodations while customers spend time with the company on Earth. A recent job board posting for a “Resort Development Manager” has come to light, specifically referring to a project at the launch provider’s Boca Chica Village location in Texas.
“SpaceX is committed to developing this town into a 21st century Spaceport. We are looking for a talented Resort Development Manager to oversee the development of SpaceX’s first resort from inception to completion,” the posting states. Notably, SpaceX is looking for candidates with experience in “high end brand luxury development,” which is perhaps a nod towards the types of customers the company expects to attract.
A small coastal community located on Texas’s southernmost tip, Boca Chica Village is where SpaceX has been developing and testing the company’s Mars-bound rocket named Starship. Facility development at the site has gone quite fast over the last few months, as is the usual Elon Musk-led company fashion, featuring new semi-automated welding machines, upgraded production equipment, and two massive sprung structures (i.e. tents). A ramp in hiring also began in February this year, including a career day to staff production shifts for 24/7 operations.
SpaceX’s rocket factory in Texas has gained a bit of notoriety since moving into the area, specifically when a Starship prototype (SN4) exploded following a static fire test in May this year. However, it looks as though most of the (literal) kinks have been worked out, culminating in a picture-perfect hop test last week. This latest test was preceded by several several prototype and tank tests, and SpaceX is now quickly moving forward with yet another prototype (SN8) build from a different steel alloy altogether.
The Texas and Florida-based rocket maker specifically labeling its new project as a Spaceport may be related to a goal Musk previously referenced. “SpaceX is building floating, superheavy-class spaceports for Mars, moon & hypersonic travel around Earth,” the CEO stated on Twitter in June. He was replying to a tweet describing yet another job board posting, this one for “Offshore Operations Engineers” to work at the Texas site.
SpaceX published concepts for floating launch facilities in 2017 which measured at least 300m (1000 ft) long and about 100m (330 ft) wide, and they are assumed to be the floating ports in question. The size of the intended rockets to be serviced on the pads would also hint towards being several miles off shore for safety purposes. But in another interesting difference, including the “Resort” in the most recent job description may further indicate either an expansion to the rocket island concept or a separate project entirely.
SpaceX is hiring a “Resort Development Manager” to develop the Boca Chica Village in Texas “into a 21st century Spaceport” and the company’s first resort. https://t.co/AEfUaCIVGr pic.twitter.com/rhJqq2rnIV
— Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) August 10, 2020
A comparable destination may be Spaceport America, the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world, located in New Mexico. That facility comprises 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace, a 12,000 foot runway, and vertical launch complexes to support multiple customers needing aerospace testing and launch capabilities. Visitors may only come for guided tours of the Spaceport, however, as it’s closed off to the public for a variety of legal and security reasons. If SpaceX’s Spaceport has similar restrictions, perhaps the Resort will be for space-bound customers and business relations only.
Every autumn since the 2016 International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Musk has presented an annual update on the status of SpaceX’s next-generation Starship launch vehicle. The tradition looks to be continued this September, as indicated in a recent tweet by the CEO, despite challenges brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic. Details about future Resort plans will hopefully be provided at that time.
Tesla has expanded the footprint of a massive safety feature worldwide with a recent Software Update labeled as 2026.20.6. The expansion of the “Blind Spot Warning While Parked” feature represents the more widespread availability of the feature, which aims to prevent “dooring.”
Dooring is when a driver or passenger opens a car door into the path of an oncoming road user, usually a cyclist or motorcyclist. It is among the most common types of cycling accidents, the League of American Bicyclists says.
For this reason, Tesla created a feature that warns occupants not to open the door because an object is approaching. The feature will sound a chime, and it will also delay the opening of the door to prevent an incident.
The release notes state (via Not a Tesla App):
“If you attempt to open a door while an approaching object is detected in your blind spot (for example, a bicyclist approaching from behind) a chime sounds, and your door will not open upon initial button press. Wait a short time and press the button a second time to override the warning.”
Tesla initially rolled out this feature back in 2024 with the Model 3 “Highland.” However, it remained with the Model 3 exclusively for over a year; that was until Tesla added it to the Cybertruck this past Spring.
Now, it is making its way to the new Model Y, 2021 and newer Model S, and 2021 or newer Model X.
The prevention of dooring incidents could eliminate many injuries to cyclists, especially in an urban setting. Dooring accounts for 10-20 percent of bike-related crashes in major cities, and over 17,000 dooring-related incidents were treated in the U.S. over the course of a decade. These usually involve fractures, contusions, and head trauma.
Tesla confirmed this morning that it has sent the first production units, manufactured with no steering wheel or pedals, to on-road testing in Austin, sharing video of the first rides with no human controls.
The lack of steering wheels and pedals in the Cybercab aligns with Tesla’s self-certification of Robotaxi as Level 4 SAE, a platform it plans to make widespread through internal vehicles and customer-owned cars that will operate and generate revenue for individuals.
The start of these engineering tests is a major signal for Tesla, which plans to bring driverless, wheel-less, and pedal-less Cybercabs to market in the coming months. With production already well underway at Gigafactory Texas, where the Cybercab is built, there is some inclination to believe the first public rides could happen sooner rather than later.
Engineering tests of the first production Cybercab have begun in Austin pic.twitter.com/fk3KQvcE8a
— Tesla (@Tesla) June 30, 2026
Tesla’s engineering tests will put the Cybercab in real-world scenarios, testing not only the hardware, but more importantly, the software that drives the car around Austin with nobody supervising it within the car.
This is perhaps the biggest part of the internal testing process, especially prior to allowing regular, everyday people to hail the Cybercab for an autonomous ride. These early rides serve as a true benchmark for Tesla: How many rides can it achieve safely? How many miles did it travel consecutively without needing an intervention? What scenarios challenge the Full Self-Driving suite the most?
The proper precautions have already been put into place as well, as Tesla released the First Responders Guide to Cybercab over the weekend, ensuring that emergency services have 24/7 access to Robotaxi Assistance, as well as other boundaries, such as Geofencing features that can be used to redirect autonomous vehicle traffic due to accidents, road closures, construction, or maintenance.
Cybercab seems genuinely close to being added to the Robotaxi fleet in Austin, but Tesla has prioritized safety throughout this entire process. Therefore, we think it could be months before it truly starts giving rides to the public. People have been frustrated with this, but Robotaxi in Austin has a tremendous safety record so far, so the slow rollout has kept people safe and accidents to a minimum.
The most important thing is that Tesla continues to show consistent progress in the Cybercab’s ramp-up toward fleet addition. A few weeks back, we saw the EPA reward the Cybercab a Certificate of Conformity, allowing it to enter the stream of commerce. Then, we saw Tesla add decals, signaling that it was likely about to start testing it publicly. That has now happened.
The next big move will be the announcement of the first rides, so this Summer should be filled with anticipation.
For years, there have been images and videos across social media platforms that have reminded me of when I was a 15-year-old kid teased by “Xbox 720” videos on YouTube. These videos are of the supposed “Tesla Phone” that Elon Musk was secretly developing in between leading Tesla with its electric cars and SpaceX with its reusable rockets.
Would you buy a Tesla phone ? pic.twitter.com/aaTwvvIJit
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 6, 2023
Although Musk has put those rumors to bed several times, it was never completely out of the realm that he could get involved in cell phones in some capacity. Think outside the box and more macro-level, though. Instead of reinventing the computer, Musk reinvented connectivity by developing Starlink with SpaceX.
It could be something similar, TD Cowen analyst Gregory Williams said in a note last week, where he hinted SpaceX could be gathering some steam to acquire T-Mobile.
Williams said it would be the “clear choice” for SpaceX if it decided to go through with a network acquisition. He also suggested AT&T.
The move would be possible through selling more of its own stock, which would help SpaceX raise the money to purchase T-Mobile, which would cost roughly $300 billion. It could be one of the moves SpaceX makes post-IPO in terms of an acquisition: it already acquired Cursor AI for $60 billion.
Other analysts, like Dan Ives of Wedbush, believe SpaceX and Tesla will eventually merge into one anyway, and that conglomeration could come as soon as this year, some have said.
The implications of SpaceX purchasing T-Mobile are massive. A combined entity would create a truly ubiquitous network: T-Mobile’s terrestrial 5G towers and Starlink’s growing constellation of Direct-to-Cell satellites. This would essentially eliminate dead zones across the U.S. and potentially globally.
SpaceX would instantly become a full-scale facilities-based carrier with satellite differentiation; a huge advantage. This would pressure AT&T and Verizon heavily.
There are also concerns like a potential reduction in long-term competition, and of course, a deal of that size would face intense scrutiny from government agencies.
The strategic fit is compelling due to the existing Starlink–T-Mobile partnership and complementary technologies (space + terrestrial). It could create a dominant integrated communications player. However, the regulatory, financial, and execution hurdles are enormous — this remains highly speculative with no indication SpaceX is actively pursuing it right now.
Tesla expands massive safety feature worldwide in latest update
Tesla sends production Cybercab with no steering wheel, pedals to on-road testing
