Governor Jeff Landry and SpaceX are announced plans on Tuesday in Abbeville to build what the company says will be the world’s largest spaceport on Louisiana’s coast.
The proposed $100 billion launch facility would be located in Vermilion Parish and have the capacity to support thousands of rocket launches each year.
SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell says the scale of the project will be unlike anything currently operating in the world.
“We’re planning to build a self-sustaining spaceport, with its own propellant production, power generation, deep water shipping capabilities, vehicle processing facilities and probably an airport,” Shotwell said.
In a social media post, SpaceX owner Elon Musk said Starbase Louisiana will have over a dozen launch towards, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day that will support their Starlink satellite network and orbiting data centers.
Shotwell says the facility is expected to create at least 3,000 new jobs, with the potential for thousands more as the project grows.
She says SpaceX has found that 60% to 80% of its new hires at its Texas operations are local residents, and the company hopes to have a similar impact in Louisiana.
“All sorts of skills, not just rocket scientists and engineers, but technicians, welders, builders, people that work in restaurants, people to help us operate the airport and spaceport,” Shotwell said.
SpaceX has partnered with Louisiana Economic Development’s FastStart program to help develop the workforce needed to support the project.
Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with the first rocket launch potentially taking place in 2029.
The massive project is also raising questions about its potential impact on Vermilion Parish and the surrounding environment.
SpaceX says it is already working with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and other state agencies to address potential impacts on wildlife, fisheries and their supporting habitats.
Shotwell says SpaceX also plans to maintain an open dialogue with Vermilion Parish residents as the project moves forward.
“In the months ahead, you’ll see us engage very heavily, me personally as well, I love Louisiana, holding town halls, finding other opportunities where we can meet and chat and make sure we understand what you are looking for and make sure what we are trying to build,” Shotwell said.
Landry calls the SpaceX announcement a pivotal moment for Louisiana and says the project could help create lasting prosperity for the state.
SpaceX was founded in 2002 and has ambitious plans for future space exploration, including missions designed to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and eventually Mars.