SpaceX Confirms $100 Billion Starship Launch Complex in Vermilion Parish
SpaceX announced Tuesday that it will build a Starship launch pad in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, a $100 billion investment the company calls the largest capital investment project in state history. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first launch planned for as early as 2029.
The announcement in Abbeville followed months of speculation about a SpaceX launch site near Pecan Island. Official channels had not publicly confirmed talks with the company until Tuesday, when state officials joined SpaceX at Abbeville's Magdalen Place. Earlier this month, reports that the dismissal of a coastal damages lawsuit brought by Vermilion Parish and the state against ExxonMobil cleared the way for the project on 130,000 acres of land previously owned by the oil company.
Louisiana Economic Secretary Susan Bourgeois and Gov. Jeff Landry attended the event. The Vermilion Parish site will be the sixth launch pad SpaceX has finished or has in active development. The company said the project will bring 3,000 direct jobs plus thousands of indirect employment opportunities.
"We're preparing to build a spaceport that, until now, has only existed in science fiction," SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said. "SpaceX was founded to bring about a future where humans are out exploring amongst the stars, which will only be possible when we make going to space as routine as flying on an airplane. Starbase, Louisiana will unlock that future." He thanked Landry and the people of Louisiana.
The project will construct a high cadence launch site for the company's newest Starship, which SpaceX expects to launch thousands of times a year, making rocket launches as routine as airplane travel. The Pecan Island site will be self-sustaining and will also include a propellant production facility, power generation plants, vehicle processing facilities and an airport. SpaceX also plans to offer deep-water shipping capabilities at the site.
SpaceX plans a $25 million donation to the Community Foundation of Acadiana. Local taxing bodies including the police jury, sheriff's office and school board will benefit, the company said. The PILOT agreement will provide a $25 million payment in the first year, with payments increasing annually. Upgrades to existing area infrastructure will be covered by SpaceX at no extra cost to current ratepayers, according to officials. The state transportation department is evaluating improvements designed to minimize impacts to the traveling public.
SpaceX and state officials framed the project as a transformational investment for the region, with residents saying it will completely change the parish's infrastructure and economy. Some residents expressed concern that jobs may not go to locals, and others raised concerns about the environmental impact of the development.
SpaceX representatives said they have worked with state agencies, including the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, to address potential impacts to wildlife, fisheries and their supporting habitats. Any unavoidable impacts on local wetlands must be fully mitigated by the company, according to a fact sheet distributed at the announcement. SpaceX officials say current plans are not anticipated to impact active coastal restoration projects, and staff have sought guidance from Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority on how to restore habitat and address coastal erosion in the area. The next milestone is the start of construction in 2027, with a first launch targeted for as early as 2029.