SpaceX will build a $100 billion Starbase in Louisiana, a 195-square-mile spaceport designed for thousands of annual launches

[midian182]

What we know so far: SpaceX has announced that it plans to build a new $100 billion spaceport on the Louisiana Gulf Coast, and to say it will be massive is an understatement. The company plans to construct the facility across 125,000 acres, or 195 square miles, in an area known as Pecan Island.

SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell said the facility, aptly named Starbase Louisiana, will be a self-sustaining spaceport with propellant production, power generation, deep-water shipping capabilities, vehicle-processing facilities, and even an airport.

The site is expected to house five launch complexes with two pads and a propellant farm apiece. That would make it SpaceX's fourth and largest launch site, with the capacity to support thousands of missions per year. Construction is due to begin in 2027, and the first launch is targeted for 2029, according to Louisiana Economic Development.

SpaceX likely chose the location for several reasons: its vast footprint provides room for expansion, the Gulf offers access to a wide range of launch trajectories, and Louisiana's abundant natural gas can supply both power and the methane used by Starship's Raptor engines. Deep-water access would also allow SpaceX to move the enormous vehicles and other hardware by ship.

– SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2026

That ambitious launch rate depends on SpaceX making Starship rapidly and fully reusable. It was recently reported that the redesigned Starship V3 completed its first full test flight, while a 2024 milestone saw the company catch a returning Super Heavy booster using the launch tower's giant mechanical arms.

Starbase Louisiana would help launch Starlink satellites, missions to the Moon and Mars, and SpaceX's proposed orbital data centers – a plan that may involve up to one million satellites.

State officials expect the project to create 3,000 direct jobs over a decade with an average salary of $92,600, plus more than 8,100 indirect positions.

Louisiana has offered tax rebates and recruitment assistance, while SpaceX has agreed to make more than $820 million in local payments over 25 years and donate $25 million to a regional community foundation.

Unsurprisingly, the enormous scale of the development has raised plenty of concerns, especially when it comes to environmental implications.

The site occupies fragile coastal marshland close to protected wildlife areas, and residents and conservation groups fear the noise, light, traffic, and construction could harm fisheries, migratory birds, and wetlands that serve as a natural hurricane buffer. Many locals also say they were kept in the dark while officials negotiated the deal.

SpaceX's history suggests that people's concerns could be warranted. The company underestimated the blast effects of Starship's first integrated launch in Texas, which made a crater and scattered debris across the surrounding area. However, the Louisiana project will still face federal licensing and environmental reviews before rockets can fly.

SpaceX says it will develop only a small part of the property, leave large areas untouched, and work with state agencies to restore eroding marshland. It also plans to hold public town halls in the coming months.

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SpaceX will build a $100 billion Starbase in Louisiana, a 195-square-mile spaceport designed for thousands of annual launches

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Why wouldn’t you build a spaceport inside a nature preserve that was created as a distance buffer for structures from hurricanes?

I can’t think of a single reason.

 

[R00sT3R]

It'll never get built.

Like so much of the fat MAGA Nazi's projects...but it keeps the morons happy who buy into his ponzi scheme level delusions.

 

[pnntmp]

The site occupies fragile coastal marshland close to protected wildlife areas, and residents and conservation groups fear the noise, light, traffic, and construction could harm fisheries, migratory birds,

That's the pinnacle of absurdity.
Whatever you try to build, it will affect some slug or cockroach. Should we really sacrifice space exploration to preserve cockroaches?

I would like to know who's financing those "conservation groups". Getting bribes from our enemies should be considered treason.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

Not mentioned by the article is that 3000 local jobs is the lower limit and SpaceX expects to employ 10,000 jobs instead. Furthermore, it’s committed to hiring locals first. Since this is infrastructure, SpaceX said they don’t really need rocket scientists nearly as much as they need technicians and engineers.

In addition, a second more successful Starship V3 rocket test has since been completed. It performed a true water landing. The rocket splashed down (no explosion) and was left floating. It was subsequently towed to Christmas Island and SpaceX plans to return it to America for further analysis and historical purposes. That said, the booster (first stage rocket) did not land. SpaceX plans to launch another Starship V3 for testing purposes in the next few weeks.

While you can’t call this a true landing because it was left in the water and cannot be reused, it is the first recovery of a second stage rocket of all time.

Why wouldn’t you build a spaceport inside a nature preserve that was created as a distance buffer for structures from hurricanes?

I can’t think of a single reason.

It is not a nature preserve. SpaceX bought half the land directly south of Pecan Island between 2 refuges (meant for research and public use). Those separate refuges are simply state owned, meant for their own purposes by humans and to protect animals. And people live in Pecan Island lol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan_Island,_Louisiana


It makes even more sense when SpaceX has committed to spending $100M to restoring the marshland and retreating shorelines. This was also left out of the article for some reason: https://thecurrentla.com/2026/starbase-louisiana-governor-spacex-announce-worlds-largest-spaceport/

[The Governor] Landry said the state secured $100 million for coastal restoration as part of the deal, along with a $25 million pledge to the Community Foundation of Acadiana.

Separately, Vermilion Parish will receive an upfront payment of $20 million and roughly $25 million a year for 25 years under a PILOT agreement the parish’s Industrial Development Board approved Tuesday morning, LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois said — a figure she put at close to $800 million over the life-span of the deal.

 

[onebignerd]

Starship is not even a functional platform, just barely recovered an undamaged Starship. No missions beyond low orbit, not even close to a manned mission, jumping the Rail Gun aren't ya Mr. Musk? Get Starship functional and capable of manned missions, complete numerous missions proving it's reliability and safety. Increasing launch cadence on existing infrastructure in place at the Cape and in Texas.

Surely you can beat NASA to the Moon given their STS platform of 1 launch per 2 -3 years cadence.

 

[Dr Roboto]

$100 Billion spaceport.

Just think about that number for a minute. It was not long ago that only the US government had that kind of money to build something at this scale. Now it is just another day of business for a tech company.

 

[wiyosaya]

Whatever you try to build, it will affect some slug or cockroach. Should we really sacrifice space exploration to preserve cockroaches?

Its long been theorized by Science, no less, that cockroaches would outlive humanity even if some dolt were to start a nuclear holocaust.You cannot eliminate cockroaches. IMO, The better question to ask is what benefits do cockroaches provide? https://blog.entomologist.net/what-benefits-do-cockroaches-provide.html
Its a typical argument given by those who piss and moan about "your favorite pest to ignorantly hate here", however, when cockroaches, or some other beneficial pest are gone, most everyone will be saying, "Gee, we never should have eliminated cockroaches."

I would like to know who's financing those "conservation groups". Getting bribes from our enemies should be considered treason.

Great bogeyman conspiracy theory. Do you check for cockroaches under your bed every night before you go to sleep?

Not mentioned by the article is that 3000 local jobs is the lower limit and SpaceX expects to employ 10,000 jobs instead. Furthermore, it’s committed to hiring locals first. Since this is infrastructure, SpaceX said they don’t really need rocket scientists nearly as much as they need technicians and engineers.

In addition, a second more successful Starship V3 rocket test has since been completed. It performed a true water landing. The rocket splashed down (no explosion) and was left floating. It was subsequently towed to Christmas Island and SpaceX plans to return it to America for further analysis and historical purposes. That said, the booster (first stage rocket) did not land. SpaceX plans to launch another Starship V3 for testing purposes in the next few weeks.

While you can’t call this a true landing because it was left in the water and cannot be reused, it is the first recovery of a second stage rocket of all time.

It is not a nature preserve. SpaceX bought half the land directly south of Pecan Island between 2 refuges (meant for research and public use). Those separate refuges are simply state owned, meant for their own purposes by humans and to protect animals. And people live in Pecan Island lol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan_Island,_Louisiana


It makes even more sense when SpaceX has committed to spending $100M to restoring the marshland and retreating shorelines. This was also left out of the article for some reason: https://thecurrentla.com/2026/starbase-louisiana-governor-spacex-announce-worlds-largest-spaceport/

I know you think fElon/SpaceX/Tesla can do no wrong, however, this is a big endeavor. IMO, perhaps a better question to ask is do SpaceX needs and expected income justify the cost (cost of all kinds even those that are not apparent) of this endeavor? Because if those aspects do not justify the needs for something like this, it will be doomed to failure even before it starts.

IMO, this is just another SpaceX bloviation much like fElon's bloviation of being on Mars by now.

And as far as environmental impacts, of which I am sure you could give a crap, the connections between these two preserves may be just as important as the preserves themselves. Not to mention what benefits, that are willfully ignored, do these preserves provide?

But people think fElon is a stable genius and we should all worship him when he comes along and, repeatedly, makes promises he cannot and will not keep.

 

[wiyosaya]

Bow down, praise, and worship the Tech Bros; after all, they are Gods and can do no wrong!!!!!!!! We are all worms before them.

 

[pnntmp]

$100 Billion spaceport.

Just think about that number for a minute. It was not long ago that only the US government had that kind of money to build something at this scale. Now it is just another day of business for a tech company.

Fantastic, right?
This company launches to orbit many times more stuff than all the governments on earth combined. We are so lucky to have such companies, and a system that allows for human ingenuity to thrive.