SpaceX to invest up to $100 billion in Louisiana spaceport
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SpaceX announced plans to invest up to $100 billion in a massive spaceport in southern Louisiana. The company targets an initial launch from the site by 2029, with construction of first launch facilities beginning in 2027. The project will create at least 3,000 local jobs and up to 10,000.
Key Facts
- SpaceX intends to invest up to $100 billion in the Louisiana spaceport project.
- Construction of the first launch facilities is planned to begin in 2027, with an initial launch targeted for 2029.
- The project is expected to create at least 3,000 local jobs, and up to 10,000.
- The site spans about 125,000 acres in southern Louisiana, near Pecan Island.
- SpaceX will partner with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, including Gulf shoreline protection breakwaters.
Project Scope and Timeline
SpaceX plans to begin construction of the first launch facilities in 2027 and is targeting an initial launch from Louisiana by 2029. The company intends to invest up to $100 billion in the project. SpaceX promised to create at least 3,000 local jobs, and up to 10,000, as the company seeks welders, energy workers, and other trades. The site encompasses about 125,000 acres in southern Louisiana, generally referred to as Pecan Island.
Environmental Commitments
SpaceX will only use a small portion of the acreage while otherwise seeking to preserve the wetlands for wildlife and the natural beauty of the area for recreational purposes like fishing, hunting, and boating. The company’s initial efforts at the site will focus on preventing coastal erosion, where the state is losing one to three meters a year. SpaceX intends to partner with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, including Gulf shoreline protection breakwaters to slow erosion.
Site Advantages
The Louisiana location lies close to the Intracoastal Waterway, with deep-water access for moving rockets and payloads into the site. It is relatively close, by barge, to SpaceX’s massive Starfactory in South Texas near Boca Chica beach. The southward-facing location offers potential access to polar orbits, with a Starship able to reach a polar orbit with only a short traverse over Mexico nearly 1,000 miles downrange.
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SpaceX to invest up to $100 billion in Louisiana spaceport
