SpaceX to Build $100 bn Launch Facility in Louisiana

Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has announced plans to construct its largest launch site yet in Louisiana, a $100 bn Starbase Louisiana facility covering 125,000 acres.

Construction is slated to begin next year, with the launch complex designed to support thousands of Starship flights annually to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond, targeting its first flight from Louisiana in 2029.

In addition to expanding the company’s footprint beyond Texas and Florida, the project will generate more than 3,000 direct jobs at the base and an estimated 8,100 indirect jobs, with average wages projected to be 192% higher than the region’s current average.

SpaceX’s recent debut on Nasdaq—the biggest tech IPO to date—has seen shares dip over 30% from their high, yet investors are watching closely as the company pushes forward with ambitious expansion such as a $16.8 bn AI chip plant in Texas.

The new facility will share its name with the existing Texan Starbase site on the southern tip of the state, and community leaders in Cameron County have already incorporated the land into a city called Starbase.