Louisiana: SpaceX will build its largest launch facility yet in Louisiana, expanding the company’s US operations and paving the way for a major increase in Starship missions.
Named Starbase, Louisiana, the $100 billion project is expected to begin construction next year on a 125,000-acre (50,585-hectare) site. SpaceX said the facility will support thousands of Starship flights each year, with missions planned for Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.
The company aims to launch the first Starship flight from the Louisiana facility in 2029. The project is expected to deliver a major economic boost to the region, with SpaceX forecasting more than 3,000 direct jobs at the site. The Louisiana Economic Development agency estimates the facility could also generate more than 8,100 indirect jobs.
Introducing Starbase, Louisiana – a high-cadence launch site that will enable Starship to open a pathway to the stars for humanity.
Thank you to @LAGovJeffLandry and the great people of Louisiana for all of their support as we work together on this audacious project →… pic.twitter.com/hq308hvg2g
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2026
Workers at the facility are expected to earn significantly above the regional average, with the agency estimating that average wages will be 192 percent higher than the current regional salary.
Officials said the project could establish Louisiana as a global centre for next-generation aerospace development, supported by infrastructure designed to increase launch frequency and expand access to space.
The Louisiana facility will share the Starbase name with SpaceX’s existing site in southern Texas. In 2025, residents of an area in Cameron County where SpaceX conducts testing and development approved incorporating the area as a city named Starbase.
The expansion comes as SpaceX pursues increasingly ambitious plans under Elon Musk, including missions to Mars, advanced artificial intelligence systems and space-based data centres. SpaceX and Tesla also announced plans in August for a $16.8 billion Terafab in Texas, an AI chip manufacturing complex intended to provide computing capacity for their growing AI and robotics projects.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is facing pressure from investors to demonstrate profitability as it expands across multiple high-cost projects. The company’s shares have fallen more than 30 percent from their post-listing highs, although they remain above the reported $135 offer price following the company’s historic Nasdaq debut in June.
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