Overview
- SpaceX formally committed to build Starbase Louisiana on a roughly 125,000-acre site on Pecan Island with construction slated to begin in 2027 and a first-launch target as early as 2029.
- The planned complex would include five launch facilities with about 10 launch pads, more than a dozen launch towers, on-site methane propellant production, power generation, vehicle processing, a deep-water port and an airport.
- Louisiana officials say the project will bring major local investment and jobs, estimating more than 3,000 direct jobs and roughly 8,100 indirect jobs plus multi-decade local payments and a charitable contribution.
- The proposal has drawn immediate pushback from residents and conservationists who cite risks to coastal wetlands and migratory birds and from critics who question state-granted tax and transparency exemptions.
- The buildout remains conditional on lengthy federal and state permitting, possible litigation and Starship proving routine, rapid reuse at high cadence before the base can reach the scale SpaceX describes.