SpaceX plans to construct Starbase Louisiana, a $100 billion launch complex spanning 50,585 hectares in Pecan Island, Vermilion Parish. The facility, more than eight times the size of Manhattan, will serve as SpaceX’s largest rocket launch site to date, expanding Starship and satellite operations that include artificial intelligence initiatives.
Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with the first Starship launch targeted for 2029. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell stated the site aims to eventually support thousands of Starship flights annually. The self-sustaining spaceport will feature methane propellant production, power generation, deep-water shipping access for transporting Starships from Texas, vehicle processing facilities, and likely an airport installation. Rocket manufacturing will not occur at the site.
The project is projected to create over 3,000 regional jobs, according to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. The average salary is expected to reach $92,600, representing a 192% increase over the median wage in Vermilion Parish. Landry emphasized the broader economic impact, stating the initiative will bring jobs, technological advancement, and coastal protection to local communities.
Shotwell addressed environmental concerns regarding bird migrations, asserting that avian activity would resume shortly after launches. The facility will operate alongside SpaceX’s existing sites in southern Texas, Florida, and California, including Boca Chica, Vandenberg Space Force Base, and potential expansions in Tennessee and Mississippi.
