SpaceX announces massive multibillion-dollar Starbase development on Louisiana coast
The base, called Starbase, will restore and build up the coastline as their first task, SpaceX said.
FILE: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch
SpaceX has conducted another rocket launch today in Florida, as this marks the 4th mission so far this month.
VERMILION PARISH, La.– SpaceX and the governor of Louisiana announced a brand-new spaceport that will be built on the wetlands of Pecan Island in a multi-billion dollar project.
The base, called Starbase, will restore and build up the coastline as their first task, SpaceX said.
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Starbase will be the largest launch facility SpaceX has, investing $100 billion into the project, according to Louisiana Economic Development (LED).
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the TD7 mission from Kennedy Space Center launchpad 39A in Florida on Nov. 17, 2024. (SpaceX)
"The historic project will establish Louisiana as a global hub for next-generation aerospace, with the capacity and infrastructure needed to dramatically increase launch frequency and expand access to space," Louisiana Economic Development said.
In addition to supporting thousands of SpaceX launches a year, Starbase is anticipated to create upwards of 3,000 direct new jobs and several more thousand indirect jobs in Vermilion Parish over the next decade.
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A bent Utility pole after Hurricane Delta made landfall in Pecan Island, Louisiana, U.S., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. (Bryan Tarnowski/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
The average salary for jobs within Starbase is expected to be 192% of the average annual income in Vermilion Parish at $92,000 a year, LED said.
"Today is a pivotal moment for Louisiana. This announcement pushes our state beyond $250 billion in new investment and puts us at the center of the next great frontier," Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said. "We have the people and talent to build what the world once thought impossible, creating jobs on land, across the Gulf and through space. Our job creation knows no bounds. This is America First. This is Louisiana First. I want to thank Elon Musk and the entire SpaceX team for choosing Louisiana."
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In a video talking about the announcement of the base, Sheila McCorkle, vice president of Starship Legal and Redgularory, said: "It's going to be a historic coastal restoration and partnership with Pecan Island and the state and Vermilion Parish to bring the marsh back, to make sure we have proper storm protection."
At completion, Starbase is expected to have five launch complexes, each with two launch pads and a propellant farm, LED said.
Rendering of what Starbase will look like along the coast of Louisiana. (SpaceX / FOX Weather)
Construction is planned to start in 2027 with the first launch happening as soon 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.
"SpaceX was founded to bring about a future where humans are out exploring amongst the stars, which will only be possible when we make going to space as routine as flying on an airplane. Starbase, Louisiana will unlock that future. Thank you Governor Landry and the people of Louisiana for joining us on this journey, and for their help in the years ahead as we work together to build one of the most inspirational places on the planet," he continued.
Starbase will be SpaceX's fourth and largest launch site.