SpaceX will build a second, $100B 'Starbase' spaceport in Louisiana

Key Points:

• SpaceX will build a second Starship launch site on a former Exxon property in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, with construction starting in 2027 and first launches expected by 2029-2030, ending a seven-year search for a new spaceport location.
• The new Gulf Coast site is part of SpaceX's $100 billion investment in Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, which is critical for the company’s Starlink satellite internet service and planned AI satellite network.
• SpaceX has conducted 13 Starship test flights since 2023 but still needs to demonstrate full reusability by returning both booster and upper stage on a single flight, a key milestone before retiring its Falcon rockets.
• The Louisiana site is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs over 10 years and more than 30,000 construction jobs at peak, with plans to develop a self-sustaining spaceport featuring propellant production, power generation, shipping facilities, and an airport.
• SpaceX has proactively engaged Louisiana state agencies to address environmental concerns, following criticism and legal battles over ecosystem impacts at its Texas Starbase site, which has also experienced high injury rates and safety incidents.