Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) announced Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, that it intends to invest $100 billion in a new Starship campus on 125,000 acres in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, while the company expects the first launch by 2029.
Once completed, Starbase Louisiana is expected to have five launch complexes, each with two launchpads. The company says the site will have facilities for fuel production and storage, power generation, vehicle processing, deep-water shipping capabilities -- even housing and possibly an airport.
One thing to note is that the site includes sensitive coastal wetlands. SpaceX has said it will leave portions undeveloped and will work with state agencies on habitat protection, but the company's environmental record means the project is likely to face stiff opposition from conservation groups. The company is currently facing a lawsuit in Texas over a land swap that would hand it more than 700 acres of a national wildlife refuge, plus lawsuits for its use of gas generators to power its Colossus data center in Mississippi.
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