Urgent.News

What's breaking now, across thousands of outlets.

Wednesday, 26 August 2026 Reading Room

Science

Musk's SpaceX to build $100bn launch site in Louisiana

The project - named Starbase - will be the firm's biggest facility yet and aims to send rockets to space in 2029.

bbc.co.uk ·

Musk's SpaceX to build $100bn launch site in Louisiana

Elon Musk's aerospace company, SpaceX, has announced plans to construct its largest launch facility in Louisiana, a multi-billion dollar project dubbed Starbase. The construction is scheduled to commence next year, with the expansive 125,000-acre site extending SpaceX's operations beyond its existing headquarters in Texas and facilities in Florida.

According to SpaceX, the new site will be instrumental in supporting a vast number of Starship flights annually, with missions targeting Earth's orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

In June, SpaceX made history by listing its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York, marking the largest-ever stock market debut. The company has set its eyes on launching its inaugural Starship from this new base in 2029. The Louisiana facility is expected to inject over 3,000 jobs into the region, a significant boost for the locality. The Louisiana Economic Development agency has reported that the average wage of workers at the base will be a hefty 192% higher than the region's current mean salary.

Written by urgent.news from BBC Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

This story

This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.

Read the original at bbc.co.uk →

More in Science

Korea's surrounding seas are warming at a rate twice as fast as the global average, with a sharp increase in sea surface temperatures over the past 10 years. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the 3rd, the sea surface temperature around Korea rose 0.87 degrees Celsius from 2012 to 2021, which is 2.02 times the global average of 0.43 degrees. The NOAA has been monitoring global sea surface temperatures since 1981 and released the data through its official website. The sea surface temperature around Korea has been rising steadily, with an average annual increase of 0.083 degrees over the past 10 years. In particular, the sea surface temperature in 2021 was 1.18 degrees higher than the average from 1981 to 2010. The East Sea, which is a marginal sea located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, showed a significant increase in sea surface temperature. The sea surface temperature in the East Sea rose 1.04 degrees over the past 10 years, which is 2.3 times the global average. The Yellow Sea and the East China Sea also showed a rapid increase in sea surface temperature. The Yellow Sea had an average annual increase of 0.097 degrees, and the East China Sea had an average annual increase of 0.092 degrees. The rapid warming of the seas around Korea is believed to be caused by climate change and the influence of the Pacific Ocean. The NOAA stated that the increase in sea surface temperature is having a significant impact on marine ecosystems and fisheries. The organization emphasized the need for continuous monitoring and research on sea surface temperature to better understand the impacts of climate change. The data released by the NOAA can be used as basic data for research on marine ecosystems and fisheries in Korea. The Korean government and research institutions are expected to use the data to develop strategies for adapting to climate change and managing marine resources. The NOAA's data on sea surface temperatures can be accessed through its official website.

·hani.co.kr

Strong oyster reefs start with genetic diversity

The European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) was once widespread but has now become so scarce in the North Sea that it no longer forms ecologically functioning reefs. Along with the demise of the flat oyster, the three-dimensional structures that provide habitat for more than 100 marine species have disappeared.

·phys.org

More from Wednesday 26 August →