rki.news | Source: Anadolu
WASHINGTON, August 25: SpaceX will invest $100 billion to build what is expected to become the world’s largest spaceport in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, authorities announced Tuesday.
The project is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs over the next 10 years, with an average annual salary of $92,600, while generating more than 8,100 indirect jobs.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the project a pivotal moment for the state, saying it would place Louisiana at the center of the next frontier in spaceflight.
The facility, SpaceX’s fourth and largest launch site, will support thousands of launches annually and play a key role in expanding missions involving Starship, the company’s fully reusable next-generation launch system.
At full buildout, Starbase Louisiana is expected to include five launch complexes with 10 launchpads, propellant production and storage facilities, power infrastructure, vehicle-processing facilities and employee housing.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said the project would help make space travel as routine as air travel.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first launch targeted as early as 2029. The site will support future missions involving orbital data centers, satellite internet connectivity, and flights to the Moon and Mars.