SpaceX to build US$100bil Starship rocket complex in Louisiana
The 50,585-hectare Pecan Island site expands SpaceX's Starship launch operations beyond South Texas and planned facilities in Florida as the rocket remains in late-stage development.
SpaceX announced plans on Tuesday to construct a massive Starship rocket launch complex in Louisiana, a $100 billion project to develop a crucial base for the company's Starship and AI satellite launch missions. The 50,585-hectare site on Pecan Island, known as Starbase Louisiana, is an expansion of SpaceX's Starship launch operations beyond South Texas and Florida.
The second Starbase campus will eventually launch thousands of Starship flights annually, with the first launch expected in 2029. The self-sustaining spaceport will feature methane production for propellant, power generation, deep-water shipping capabilities, vehicle processing facilities, and possibly an airport. Over eight times the size of Manhattan, the site will preserve significant natural wetlands while including launch pads surrounded by greenery.
The area had been the subject of a decade-long lawsuit against ExxonMobil, which was settled in June, paving the way for SpaceX's plans. The project will create over 3,000 jobs in the region, with an average salary of $92,600, significantly higher than the local average. The Louisiana location provides an advantageous southern position for SpaceX's satellite ambitions, allowing rockets to launch over the Gulf waters and into a sun-synchronous orbit for solar-powered AI satellites.
SpaceX's fourth US launch site, unlike Texas, will not have rocket production facilities. The site's environmental plans include marshland restoration and protecting migratory bird species.
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- SpaceX to build US$100bil Starship rocket complex in Louisiana freemalaysiatoday.com
