SpaceX Announces $100 Billion Starship Launch Site in Louisiana’s Vermilion Parish

SpaceX announced on August 25, 2026, plans to invest $100 billion in a new Starship launch facility in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, along the Gulf Coast near Pecan Island. The site, covering roughly 125,000 acres, is intended to become the company’s largest spaceport and support thousands of launches annually.

Governor Jeff Landry and SpaceX executives presented the project as Starbase Louisiana. Construction is expected to start in 2027, with an initial Starship launch targeted for 2029 according to the company, or initial operations in 2030 according to Louisiana Economic Development. The facility will include propellant production, power generation, deep-water shipping, vehicle processing and an on-site airport.

SpaceX said the location ends a seven-year search for a suitable expansion site beyond its existing Starbase in South Texas. The Louisiana site offers space for multiple launch towers and access to methane propellant. At full build-out it is planned to feature five launch complexes, each with two pads.

The project is projected to create 3,000 direct jobs over ten years with an average salary of $92,600, nearly twice the local average, plus thousands of indirect and construction positions. Company statements have mentioned potential employment reaching 10,000. SpaceX also pledged partnership with state and federal agencies on coastal restoration and shoreline protection.

Starship remains under development, with the company still working to achieve routine orbital flights and full reusability. The new site is positioned to support expanded Starlink deployments, proposed orbital data centres and longer-term Mars ambitions. Louisiana officials described the investment as an inflection point for the state’s economy and coastal infrastructure.

Environmental considerations include the site’s location in coastal marshland between wildlife refuges. SpaceX has faced prior scrutiny over environmental compliance at its Texas facility. The company stated that restoration work will form part of the Louisiana development.

The announcement adds a major industrial project to the Gulf Coast and expands the geographic base of commercial heavy-lift launch capacity in the United States.