SpaceX will invest $100 billion to build a new spaceport in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, designed to support thousands of Starship launches annually, with construction beginning in 2027 and the first launch targeted for 2029, according to an announcement from Louisiana Economic Development.
The facility expands SpaceX's launch infrastructure beyond its existing Texas Starbase. The Louisiana site will be dedicated to supporting satellite missions and commercial launch operations rather than development of the vehicle itself, which continues at SpaceX's Boca Chica, Texas headquarters.
SpaceX has operated the Starbase launch facility in South Texas since 2014, conducting over 60 orbital launches and developing the Starship super-heavy lift vehicle there. The Louisiana campus will operate as a dedicated launch facility, allowing SpaceX to increase operational tempo without competing for facilities at its primary development site. The company has not disclosed specific launch cadence targets or technical specifications for the Louisiana spaceport.
Louisiana Economic Development provided tax incentives and regulatory support to secure the project. The state has cultivated space industry presence through earlier initiatives, including support for Blue Origin's New Glenn manufacturing facility announced in 2024. Coastal Louisiana offers geographic advantages for east-coast launch corridors and has deeper water access than inland launch sites, reducing shipping costs for large rocket components.
Construction of the spaceport begins in 2027, with SpaceX planning to conduct its first Louisiana launch in 2029. The company expects to generate thousands of jobs during construction and operations phases. Regulatory approvals from federal launch authorities and environmental permitting will proceed during the planning phase.
The $100 billion investment places Louisiana among the most capital-intensive aerospace infrastructure projects in the United States, exceeded only by NASA's Space Launch System facilities at Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX's Texas Starbase facility cost approximately $20 billion to develop across its first decade of operation. This Louisiana campus represents a fivefold increase in per-site capital commitment. By 2030, SpaceX will operate two major U.S. Starship launch complexes, doubling its owned infrastructure footprint.
The next verifiable milestone is whether SpaceX meets its 2027 construction start date; delays would compress the timeline to achieve first Louisiana operations by 2029.
