SpaceX to Build $100 Billion Spaceport in Louisiana, Targets 2029 Launch
SpaceX and Louisiana officials announced "Starbase, Louisiana," a new $100+ billion launch site near Pecan Island — the largest private investment in the state's history, with construction starting in 2027 and the first Starship launch from the site targeted for 2029. It's unrelated to Tesla's core business, but underscores the scale of capital Musk is deploying across his companies.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and SpaceX jointly announced on August 25 that the company will build a new launch site, "Starbase, Louisiana," near Pecan Island in South Louisiana. The news was reported by The New York Times, CNBC and Bloomberg, among others, with SpaceX calling it the largest private capital project in state history.
The site spans roughly 125,000 to 130,000 acres — more than 200 square miles — dwarfing SpaceX's existing Starbase in Texas. Plans call for propellant production, on-site power generation, deep-water port facilities, vehicle-processing buildings and an airport, with more than a dozen launch towers eventually supporting over 30 Starship flights a day. Construction is set to begin in 2027, with the first Starship launch from the new site targeted for 2029.
Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will create 3,000 direct jobs over the next decade, paying an average salary of $92,600, plus more than 8,100 indirect jobs. Musk said in a video message the project would bring "probably 10,000 really exciting jobs" to the state.
It has no direct bearing on Tesla's business, but the $100 billion price tag — alongside recent speculation from analysts like Wedbush's Dan Ives about a potential SpaceX-Tesla merger — keeps investor attention on how Musk is allocating capital and time across his companies.
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