SpaceX is preparing to dramatically expand its Starship operations with a new $100 billion launch complex in Louisiana, a project Elon Musk says could eventually become the largest launch site on Earth.
The company officially announced Starbase, Louisiana on Tuesday, confirming months of speculation about its plans for a site in Vermilion Parish near Pecan Island. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and state economic officials joined SpaceX representatives in Abbeville for the announcement, describing the development as the largest capital investment project in Louisiana history.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, while SpaceX is targeting the site’s first Starship launch for as early as 2029. The Louisiana facility will become the sixth launch pad that SpaceX has either completed or currently has under development.
Musk lays out plans for more than 30 Starship flights a day
Musk outlined an especially ambitious long-term vision for the Louisiana site. In a social media post accompanying SpaceX’s announcement, he said Starbase Louisiana would ultimately have more than a dozen launch towers, allowing the facility to support more than 30 Starship flights per day.
Musk said the scale would make it the world’s largest launch site, adding that “SpaceX makes sci-fi real.”
SpaceX described Starbase Louisiana as a “high-cadence launch site” intended to help Starship open a pathway to space for humanity. The company’s broader objective is to reach a point where Starship can fly thousands of times each year, moving rocket launches closer to the frequency and routine of commercial air travel.
The development will also extend well beyond launch towers. SpaceX plans to make the Pecan Island complex largely self-sustaining, with facilities for producing propellant, generating power and processing vehicles. Plans also include an airport and deep-water shipping capabilities to support operations at the sprawling site.
SpaceX expects thousands of new Louisiana jobs
The project is expected to have a major economic impact on the region. SpaceX says Starbase Louisiana will create 3,000 direct jobs, along with thousands of additional indirect employment opportunities.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the company intends to recruit heavily from Louisiana communities. She pointed to the company’s experience in Texas, where between 60% and 80% of new hires at its sites are local residents, and said SpaceX hopes to repeat that approach in Louisiana. She also emphasized that the company will need workers with a broad range of skills, not only engineers and rocket scientists.
SpaceX also plans to contribute $25 million to the Community Foundation of Acadiana. Under a PILOT agreement connected to the development, local taxing bodies are expected to receive a $25 million payment in the first year, with payments increasing annually.
With construction set to begin next year, Starbase Louisiana represents one of SpaceX’s biggest bets yet on turning Starship into a high-frequency transportation system — and placing Louisiana at the center of that expansion.
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