Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced a $100bn project to build its largest launch site in southern Louisiana, with construction set to begin in 2025, though the 125,000-acre site,dubbed “Starbase Louisiana”—will support thousands of Starship flights annually, including missions to Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars, according to the company.

Facility Details and Infrastructure

The Louisiana Economic Development agency described the project as the largest single capital investment in the state’s history — the facility will include five launch complexes, each with two Starship pads, totaling 10 pads at launch. Additional infrastructure will include on-site power generation, propellant storage and production, and a deepwater port to transport Starships built in Texas, as the site will also feature housing for employees and a dedicated airport.

According to the Korea Post, the project will transform a vast stretch of coastal wetlands,equivalent in size to tens of thousands of football pitches,into a major space transportation hub. SpaceX and the state of Louisiana announced the deal on 25 August local time, with the site located around Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish.

Economic Impact and Job Creation

SpaceX said the project will directly create more than 3,000 jobs in the region; the Louisiana Economic Development agency estimated that the project will also generate over 8,100 indirect jobs. The average wage at the facility is expected to be 192% higher than the regional average, according to the agency.

The BBC reported that the project will establish Louisiana as a global hub for next-generation aerospace, with the infrastructure to support a dramatic increase in launch frequency and expand access to space. The new site will be the fourth major launch site for SpaceX in the U.S., following existing locations in Texas and Florida.

Long-Term Goals and Energy Strategy

The Louisiana facility is part of SpaceX’s broader ambitions, which include Mars colonization, AI development, and launching data centers into space; the company plans to use natural gas from the region both to generate electricity and produce methane, the primary fuel for Starship, on-site. Louisiana was chosen for its ample land and access to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as its abundant natural gas resources.

SpaceX aims to launch its first Starship flight from the Louisiana base in 2029, according to the BBC; In the long term, the site could support up to 30 launches per day, as reported by the Korea Post. This scale of operations would make it one of the most active launch sites in the world.