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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.
Elon Musk
Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Elon Musk’s 2018 Tesla CEO pay package
The unanimous decision criticized the prior total rescission as “improper and inequitable,” arguing that it left Musk uncompensated for six years of transformative leadership at Tesla.
The Delaware Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling, reinstating Elon Musk’s 2018 compensation package originally valued at $56 billion but now worth approximately $139 billion due to Tesla’s soaring stock price.
The unanimous decision criticized the prior total rescission as “improper and inequitable,” arguing that it left Musk uncompensated for six years of transformative leadership at Tesla. Musk quickly celebrated the outcome on X, stating that he felt “vindicated.” He also shared his gratitude to TSLA shareholders.
Delaware Supreme Court makes a decision
In a 49-page ruling Friday, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick’s 2024 decision that voided the 2018 package over alleged board conflicts and inadequate shareholder disclosures. The high court acknowledged varying views on liability but agreed rescission was excessive, stating it “leaves Musk uncompensated for his time and efforts over a period of six years.”
The 2018 plan granted Musk options on about 304 million shares upon hitting aggressive milestones, all of which were achieved ahead of time. Shareholders overwhelmingly approved it initially in 2018 and ratified it once again in 2024 after the Delaware lower court struck it down. The case against Musk’s 2018 pay package was filed by plaintiff Richard Tornetta, who held just nine shares when the compensation plan was approved.
A hard-fought victory
As noted in a Reuters report, Tesla’s win avoids a potential $26 billion earnings hit from replacing the award at current prices. Tesla, now Texas-incorporated, had hedged with interim plans, including a November 2025 shareholder-approved package potentially worth $878 billion tied to Robotaxi and Optimus goals and other extremely aggressive operational milestones.
The saga surrounding Elon Musk’s 2018 pay package ultimately damaged Delaware’s corporate appeal, prompting a number of high-profile firms, such as Dropbox, Roblox, Trade Desk, and Coinbase, to follow Tesla’s exodus out of the state. What added more fuel to the issue was the fact that Tornetta’s legal team, following the lower court’s 2024 decision, demanded a fee request of more than $5.1 billion worth of TSLA stock, which was equal to an hourly rate of over $200,000.
Delaware Supreme Court Elon Musk 2018 Pay Package by Simon Alvarez
News
Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the vehicle being reported across social media this week.
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the autonomous two-seater being reported across social media this week. Based on videos of the vehicle that have been shared online, it appears that Cybercab tests are underway across multiple states.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Reports of Cybercab tests have ramped this week, with a vehicle that looked like a production-ready prototype being spotted at Apple’s Visitor Center in California. The vehicle in this sighting was interesting as it was equipped with a steering wheel. The vehicle also featured some changes to the design of its brake lights.
The Cybercab was also filmed testing at the Fremont factory’s test track, which also seemed to involve a vehicle that looked production-ready. This also seemed to be the case for a Cybercab that was spotted in Austin, Texas, which happened to be undergoing real-world tests. Overall, these sightings suggest that Cybercab testing is fully underway, and the vehicle is really moving towards production.
Production design all but finalized?
Recently, a near-production-ready Cybercab was showcased at Tesla’s Santana Row showroom in San Jose. The vehicle was equipped with frameless windows, dual windshield wipers, powered butterfly door struts, an extended front splitter, an updated lightbar, new wheel covers, and a license plate bracket. Interior updates include redesigned dash/door panels, refined seats with center cupholders, updated carpet, and what appeared to be improved legroom.
There seems to be a pretty good chance that the Cybercab’s design has been all but finalized, at least considering Elon Musk’s comments at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting. During the event, Musk confirmed that the vehicle will enter production around April 2026, and its production targets will be quite ambitious.
News
Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Swedish union Vision has withdrawn its sympathy blockade against Tesla’s planned service center and showroom in Kalmar. As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Vision’s decision to pull the blockade
Vision announced the blockade in early December, stating that it was targeting the administrative handling of Tesla’s facility permits in Kalmar municipality. The sympathy measure was expected to start Monday, but was formally withdrawn via documents sent to the Mediation Institute and Kalmar Municipality last week.
As noted in a Daggers Arbete report, plans for the strike were ultimately pulled after employer group SKR highlighted potential illegality under the Public Employment Act. Vision stressed its continued backing for the Swedish labor model, though Deputy negotiation manager Oskar Pettersson explained that the Vision union and IF Metall made the decision to cancel the planned strike together.
“We will not continue to challenge the regulations,” Petterson said. “The objection was of a technical nature. We made the assessment together with IF Metall that we were not in a position to challenge the legal assessment of whether we could take this particular action against Tesla. Therefore, we chose to revoke the notice itself.”
The SKR’s warning
Petterson also stated that SKR’s technical objection to the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla strike framed the protest as an unauthorized act. “It was a legal assessment of the situation. Both for us and for IF Metall, it is important to be clear that we stand for the Swedish model. But we should not continue to challenge the regulations and risk getting judgments that lead nowhere in the application of the regulations,” he said.
Vision ultimately canceled its planned blockade against Tesla on December 9. With Vision’s withdrawal, few obstacles remain for Tesla’s long-planned Kalmar site. A foreign electrical firm completed work this fall, and Tesla’s Careers page currently lists a full-time service manager position based there, signaling an imminent opening.
Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Elon Musk’s 2018 Tesla CEO pay package
Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
