SpaceX plans to build the largest rocket launching facility in the world on roughly 125,000 acres near Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish. The $100 billion spaceport will bring thousands of jobs to Acadiana. SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell says once operational, SpaceX will launch multiple rockets a day, but it will also take steps towards protecting the coast.
“One of the first things you’re going to see us do is start working with the state to ensure that the coastline survives. So you’re going to see those projects start immediately,” Shotwell said.
Shotwell says in Vermilion Parish, the coastline is eroding between three and 23 feet per year. She says part of their mission in Louisiana is to protect and restore the coast.
“SpaceX is partnering with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s coastal masterplan, including shoreline protection, marsh restoration and wildlife conservation,” Shotwell noted.
Shotwell says another of its initiatives is to rebuild the marshlands.
“The work includes thousands of acres of marsh creation to reconnect fragmented wetlands and help restore the natural storm buffer that this coast has lost,” Shotwell explained.