Catenaa, Tuesday, August 25, 2026- SpaceX announced plans on Tuesday to invest $100 billion in a Starship launch facility in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, to support thousands of launches annually.
The site, named Starbase, Louisiana, will be SpaceX’s fourth and largest launch facility, the company said.
At full buildout, it is expected to include five launch complexes, each with two launch pads and a propellant farm, along with a propellant production facility, power generation infrastructure, vehicle processing facilities, and residential housing for employees and their families.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first launch targeted for as early as 2029.
“We’re preparing to build a spaceport that, until now, has only existed in science fiction,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said in a statement. “Starbase, Louisiana, will unlock that future.”
SpaceX stock rose about 2.75% on Tuesday following the announcement.
Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will create 3,000 direct jobs over the next 10 years, paying an average annual salary of $92,600, and generate more than 8,100 indirect jobs.
In a video posted to SpaceX’s website, Musk put the number even higher, telling viewers the spaceport would deliver “probably 10,000 really exciting jobs” to the state, according to CNBC.
To secure the project, Louisiana offered SpaceX an incentives package contingent on capital investment and job creation. The state also required a $25 million charitable donation to the Community Foundation of Acadiana.
SpaceX is expected to participate in the state’s new Aerospace Facilities and Activities Rebate and the High Impact Jobs program, the company said.
Under a separate local agreement, SpaceX will pay Vermilion Parish $25 million annually for 25 years, with an escalator clause, plus a $20 million upfront payment, generating more than $820 million in direct local payments over the life of the deal.
The company said it acquired the land for the facility through the state’s sale of a former Exxon property to SpaceX.
SpaceX cited Louisiana’s Gulf Coast location as enabling launches across a wide range of orbital trajectories, along with access to abundant natural gas and large tracts of available land.
SpaceX said it has engaged the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to address potential environmental impacts.
The company also announced it would extend a 50% discount on Starlink monthly service plans to Vermilion Parish residents, with no upfront hardware costs for new customers.
The Louisiana announcement builds on SpaceX’s existing ambitions for Starship, including plans to launch orbital data center satellites powered by Nvidia chips, with the first mission targeted for late 2027.
Starship is central to those plans, as well as to SpaceX’s broader goals of expanding its Starlink satellite network and eventually exploring Mars.
SpaceX’s record at its Boca Chica, Texas facility has not been without controversy; in 2024, a state agency issued a notice of violation finding that the company’s water deluge system had discharged pollutants into or near Texas waterways on multiple occasions, according to CNBC.
