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Starbase Louisiana unveiled
SpaceX announced plans to build Starbase Louisiana on the coast of Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, with construction starting in 2027 and launches planned for 2029.
“Construction starting in 2027 and launches planned for 2029.”
The project is described as covering 125,000 acres (about 505 km²) and requiring an estimated investment of $100 billion, with SpaceX saying it will be centered on the reusable Starship system.
SpaceX said the complex would be designed to support up to 30 flights per day, with five complexes (two pads each) and more than a dozen towers at full development.
Governor Jeff Landry said the first phase will generate around 3,000 direct jobs over the next decade, while the FAA is considering exempting certain developments from 13 environmental laws and the public comment period closes on August 31.
At a joint press conference in Vermilion Parish, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said, “This will be a project like no other. Another piece of science fiction transported in reality, or as I would like to call it, science fact.”
Musk, Landry, and jobs
Elon Musk said on his X account that Starbase Louisiana “will eventually have more than a dozen launch towers, which will allow more than 30 Starship flights per day and will make it the largest launch site on the planet.”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry described the announcement as a “transformational moment,” and said the project would put Louisiana “at the center of the next great frontier.”
The Louisiana Economic Development estimates cited in the announcement say the project will create 3,000 direct new jobs over the next 10 years and generate more than 8,100 indirect new jobs for more than 11,100 new job opportunities in Acadiana.
The KATC report also described a press conference in Abbeville where Landry asked, “Well, Vermilion Parish, what do you think?” after the video and documentary-style ad.
SpaceX said it would be “committed to investing at least $100 billion and creating more than 3,000 new jobs,” and Spectrum News 13 reported the spaceport would be designed to support thousands of Starship flights a year with 10 launch pads.
Wetlands, permits, and next steps
The plan faces objections tied to coastal wetland impact, and Aviacionline reported the FAA is considering exempting certain developments from 13 environmental laws while the public comment period closes on August 31.
“The public comment period closes on August 31.”
France 24 said the 125,000-acre site on Pecan Island is an expansion beyond South Texas and that Shotwell detailed a “self-sustaining” spaceport including its own methane production for propellant, power generation, deep-water shipping capabilities, and probably an airport.
France 24 also reported that the site had been at the center of a decade-long lawsuit against ExxonMobil brought by local parishes alleging coastal drilling and canal dredging contributed to the state's wetland loss, and that the state reached an agreement with Exxon to settle the lawsuit in June.
In response to environmental concerns, France 24 quoted Shotwell saying, “The birds might fly away during a launch, but I guarantee they come back,” and added that she said SpaceX will help fund environmental “protection, restoration,”.
As construction and permitting move forward, the sources tie the timeline to regulatory hurdles and engineering challenges, with multiple outlets stating construction is expected to begin in 2027 and the first Starship launch from Louisiana is expected in 2029.