SpaceX announced the construction of a new Starbase in Louisiana to launch Starship, with an investment of US$100 billion.
The new complex will be located on the Gulf Coast and construction is set to begin in 2027, with operations expected to start in 2030.
SpaceX announced the construction of a new Starbase in Louisiana
Where the new SpaceX Starbase will be located
The new SpaceX Starbase will be situated in Vermilion Parish, on the Gulf of Mexico coast and west of New Orleans.
The chosen site belongs to a former property of Exxon. The location is about 10 hours from the Starbase complex that the company already has in South Texas.
SpaceX reported that it will allocate US$100 billion to the project. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, and the company aims to conduct the first launch of Starship from Louisiana in 2029.
Where will the new SpaceX Starbase be
The Louisiana Economic Development (LED) agency has a more conservative timeline, indicating that construction would start before the end of 2027, while initial operations would arrive in 2030.
What the new SpaceX Starbase will have
The goal of SpaceX is to turn the new complex into a self-sufficient spaceport for future Starship operations.
What will the new SpaceX Starbase have
According to the company, the project includes extensive infrastructure to concentrate various stages of space operations.
Propellant production.
Energy generation.
Deep-water shipping capacity.
Facilities to process vehicles.
An airport.
The proposal aims for the new Starbase to sustain a significant portion of its operations from the complex itself.
SpaceX projects thousands of jobs with the new Starbase
The project will also have a significant impact on local employment. According to Louisiana Economic Development, the new Starbase will generate 3,000 direct jobs over 10 years.
SpaceX projects thousands of jobs with the new Starbase
The estimated average annual salary for these jobs will be US$92,600. During the peak of construction, more than 30,000 jobs are expected.
Starship, Elon Musk's bet for the future of SpaceX
The construction of the new Starbase is part of Elon Musk and SpaceX's effort to make Starship the company's primary launch vehicle.
Starship, Elon Musk's bet for the future of SpaceX
SpaceX has conducted 13 test flights of Starship since 2023. The next flight could attempt to carry the vehicle's upper stage to low Earth orbit for the first time.
The central challenge remains to ensure that both the booster and the upper stage return to the platform in the same flight and can be reused.
The company aims to achieve a frequency of multiple Starship launches per week. Elon Musk also stated that the Falcon rockets will be retired when Starship reaches that flight rate.
Starship V3
How much SpaceX has invested in the development of Starship
SpaceX has already allocated more than US$8 billion to the development of Starship, according to presentations made to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The rocket is the largest and most powerful ever built and plays a central role in the company's expansion plans.
How much did SpaceX invest in the development of Starship
Starship is also key for Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service. The company also plans to develop a network of satellites dedicated to processing artificial intelligence.
