SpaceX to Build USD 100 Bn Rocket Launch Complex in Southern Louisiana

Key facts

• SpaceX announced plans for a $100 billion Starship launch complex named Starbase Louisiana on Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish, southern Louisiana.
• The 125,000-acre (50,585-hectare) site will begin construction in 2027, with the first Starship launch targeted for 2029.
• The facility is designed to be self-sufficient, featuring its own methane production, power generation, deep-water shipping infrastructure, vehicle processing facilities, and potentially an airport.
• Starships will be transported to Louisiana from Texas by sea, and the site will not include rocket manufacturing.
• The location offers a southern launch path over the Gulf of Mexico and access to sun-synchronous orbits suitable for satellite deployment.
• The project is expected to create over 3,000 jobs with an average salary of about $92,600.
• The proposed site is a protected wildlife habitat and an important stop for migratory birds, with SpaceX committing to preserve natural wetlands and support coastal restoration.
• A settlement in June resolved a decade-long legal dispute with ExxonMobil over the site, clearing the way for the project.