WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - SpaceX has unveiled plans to invest $100 billion to build 'Starbase Louisiana,' a massive manufacturing and launch facility in Vermilion Parish on Louisiana's Gulf Coast. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first launch targeted for 2029.
The facility is planned to include 10 launch pads across five complexes, along with on-site propellant production, power generation, vehicle processing facilities and deep-water shipping capabilities. SpaceX says the site will eventually support thousands of Starship launches each year as the company works to dramatically increase the rocket's flight rate.
The project is expected to create about 3,000 direct jobs over the next decade, along with thousands of additional indirect jobs. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said the facility could eventually support more than 30 Starship flights per day.
The investment comes as SpaceX prepares to transition more of its operations from Falcon 9 to the fully reusable Starship. The company plans to use Starship for Starlink launches, lunar missions under NASA's Artemis programme and future missions supporting its planned space-based artificial intelligence infrastructure.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the Louisiana facility is being designed as a self-sustaining spaceport capable of supporting the company's expected launch cadence.
The project will also undergo environmental, wetlands, natural-resource and launch-related regulatory reviews, while SpaceX says it plans to preserve large portions of the site's wetlands and support coastal restoration efforts.
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