SpaceX to Build $100 Billion Spaceport on Louisiana Gulf Coast

SpaceX plans to invest $100 billion in a massive new launch facility on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, a project the company says could eventually support thousands of launches a year.

The planned “Louisiana Spaceport” will be built in Vermilion Parish and is expected to become SpaceX’s fourth and largest launch site, with construction scheduled to begin in 2027 and the first launch targeted for as early as 2029.

At full buildout, the site is expected to include five launch complexes, each with two launch pads and a propellant farm. Plans also call for propellant production, power generation, vehicle processing facilities and housing for employees and their families.

The Gulf Coast location is expected to play a major role in SpaceX’s plans to increase the launch rate of its reusable Starship system. Louisiana officials said the site offers abundant natural gas, large amounts of available land and access to launch trajectories over the Gulf of Mexico.

“We’re preparing to build a spaceport that, until now, has only existed in science fiction,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said.

Musk said the goal is ultimately to make spaceflight as routine as commercial aviation, with the Louisiana site supporting missions to Earth orbit, the Moon and eventually Mars.

Starbase, Louisiana will be built to support thousands of Starship flights a year with missions launching to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond pic.twitter.com/SE6gyNZWBK

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 25, 2026

The project is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs over the next decade with an average annual salary of $92,600, according to Louisiana Economic Development. State officials estimate another 8,100 indirect jobs could be generated, bringing the total employment impact to more than 11,000 jobs.

For Louisiana, the project also represents another chapter in the state’s long connection to the U.S. space program. The Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans built stages of the Saturn V rockets used during the Apollo program and today supports NASA’s Artemis lunar program.

“SpaceX’s decision to build here confirms what we’ve always known: this state has the workforce, the industrial capacity, the energy supply, and the location to lead the next era of space exploration,” said Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc.

The new facility is also closely tied to Louisiana’s working Gulf Coast. The project will be built on a former Exxon property in Vermilion Parish, returning the industrial site to commercial use. State officials said workers and companies with experience in Louisiana’s oil and gas sector could provide a ready-made industrial base for the development.

SpaceX has begun working with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and other agencies to address potential impacts on fisheries, wildlife and coastal habitats. The company said it also plans to work with local conservation groups as the project moves forward.

Louisiana is providing an incentives package tied to SpaceX meeting investment and job-creation commitments, as well as making a $25 million charitable contribution to the Community Foundation of Acadiana. The company is also expected to qualify for state aerospace and high-impact jobs incentives.

Under a separate payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, SpaceX will pay local taxing bodies $25 million annually for 25 years, with the payment increasing under an agreed escalator, plus an upfront payment of $20 million. Louisiana officials estimate the agreement will generate more than $820 million in direct local payments.

The Louisiana site would significantly expand SpaceX’s launch footprint as the company works to move Starship from development and testing toward routine operations. Beyond traditional satellite missions, SpaceX says the facility could eventually support launches associated with orbital data centers, expanded satellite internet service and missions to the Moon and Mars.

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