SpaceX will build a second, $100B ‘Starbase’ spaceport in Louisiana
SpaceX plans to invest $100 billion to build a second spaceport in Louisiana, specifically for its Starship rocket program. Construction is slated to begin in 2027, with the company aiming to retire its existing Falcon rocket fleet as Starship operations scale up.
Why it matters
This massive investment signals SpaceX's long-term commitment to the Starship platform and a major shift in the company's launch infrastructure strategy.
SpaceX has announced it will build a second spaceport for future launches of its Starship mega-rocket at a former Exxon property in Louisiana, ending what the company says was a seven-year search for a suitable location.
The new launch site will sit along the Gulf Coast in Vermilion Parish, west of New Orleans and roughly 10 hours from the company’s existing Starbase complex in South Texas. SpaceX says it is investing $100 billion, with construction starting in 2027. SpaceX claims the first Starship launch will take place in 2029.
Louisiana Economic Development (LED), the state agency that oversees business development, offers a slightly more conservative timeline. It says construction will start by the end of 2027 with “initial operations expected to come online in 2030.”
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