SpaceX plans to invest $100 billion, about 140 trillion won, to build a large space launch facility in Vermilion Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It aims to recreate Texas-built “Starbase” on a larger scale and use it as an outpost for mass Starship launches and satellite network deployment.

◆ 140 trillion won investment…Creating ‘Starbase Louisiana’

On Aug. 25 (local time), Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said SpaceX will build a Starship factory and launch pads in the state’s coastal region, CNBC and other foreign media reported. SpaceX aims to begin construction of the first facilities in 2027 and target a first launch in 2029. The Louisiana Economic Development agency presented a more conservative schedule of starting construction in late 2027 and initial operations in 2030.

Gwynne Shotwell (궤윈 숏웰), SpaceX president and chief operating officer, said it will make “Starbase Louisiana” a self-sustaining space base with propellant production, power generation, deep-sea transport, vehicle processing facilities, an airport and other infrastructure.

Pecan Island, cited as a candidate site, spans about 125,000 acres, far larger than Texas Starbase’s roughly 350 acres. The larger site could support multiple launch towers and is advantageous for securing methane propellant, Starship’s fuel. It is also close to a canal with deep-water access, offering advantages for rocket and cargo transport.

◆ A second Starbase for mass Starship launches

The key reason SpaceX is eyeing Louisiana is to expand its launch facilities. The company ultimately aims to launch Starship dozens of times a day and thousands of times a year to build large satellite networks including Starlink and orbital data centers.

Texas Starbase currently has 1 operating launch site and 1 under construction, and SpaceX is also building 3 additional launch pads in Cape Canaveral, Florida. But Texas and Florida have limited space. Louisiana can secure a relatively larger site and faces less competition for launch airspace.

A south-facing location also benefits polar-orbit launches. SpaceX expects many of its planned orbital data center satellites to use orbits close to polar orbit, which it says could improve launch efficiency.

◆ 10,000 jobs and a self-sustaining space city…Environmental dispute a challenge

SpaceX promised to create at least 3,000 and up to 10,000 jobs in the region. The Louisiana Economic Development agency expects 3,000 direct hires over the next 10 years with an average annual salary of $92,600, about 130 million won, and forecast that more than 30,000 workers could be deployed when construction peaks.

Environmental issues are a variable. Pecan Island is a habitat for waterfowl and wildlife, and its coast is eroding by 1 to 3 metres each year. SpaceX plans to develop only part of the site and preserve the rest as wildlife habitat and leisure space for fishing, hunting and boating, while also planning measures such as building breakwaters to prevent coastal erosion. With criticism and legal disputes over ecosystem impacts continuing at Texas Starbase, environmental issues are expected to be a key point of contention in Louisiana as well.

◆ SpaceX’s future hinges on Starship

Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever, under development with the goal of full reusability. SpaceX has conducted 13 test flights since 2023, and the 14th flight is being discussed for the possibility of the upper stage reaching orbit for the first time. It has not yet succeeded in returning both the booster and the upper stage to the launch pad in a single flight.

SpaceX has invested more than $8 billion, about 11 trillion won, in Starship development so far. Elon Musk has also said he would retire the Falcon rocket once Starship reaches the stage of flying several times a week. Whether Starship can be launched at scale and achieve full reusability is a key variable that will determine the company’s future.

Musk’s expansion in the U.S. South is also continuing. xAI built the “Colossus” data center and a power plant in Memphis, and Tesla is expanding factories and its robotaxi business centered on Austin, Texas. Tesla, SpaceX and Intel are also 추진 중 a large AI chip plant in Grimes County, Texas.

With Texas Starbase transforming into a de facto company town with its own ZIP code and fire and police organizations, it remains unclear whether SpaceX will create a similar “company city” in Louisiana.