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Starbase Louisiana

The mission, as announced.

A single page holding everything that is publicly known and sourced about the largest spaceport ever proposed — and a clear line between what was committed to and what is still open.

  • $100BAnnounced investmentLargest capital commitment in Louisiana history
  • 125,000Acres of coastal marshSite area near Pecan Island
  • 10Launch pads at full buildFive complexes, two pads each
  • 3,000Direct jobs over 10 yearsAveraging $92,600 a year
  • 8,100Indirect jobsContractors, vendors, and suppliers
  • $825M+Local tax payments$20M upfront, then $25M/yr for 25 years

Where

South of Pecan Island.

The site sits on the Chenier Plain — a run of old beach ridges left behind as the Mississippi's delta lobes shifted over thousands of years. The ridges are the only high ground for miles, and "high" means four to ten feet.

That geology explains most of the engineering. You cannot set a launch mount on marsh, so everything heavy needs pile driven to something that holds. And with LA-82 as the only road, marine access is the practical way to move large hardware — which is why a deep-water port is on the list.

Read the site report
Locator map of the announced Starbase Louisiana site areaA schematic map of southwest Louisiana showing Lafayette to the north, Abbeville, Kaplan, Erath and Delcambre in Vermilion Parish, the chenier ridges along the coast, and a highlighted area south of Pecan Island where SpaceX announced Starbase Louisiana. The boundary shown is approximate; no parcel map has been published.STARBASE LOUISIANAAPPROX. SITE AREA · ~125,000 ACLAFAYETTEABBEVILLEKAPLANERATHDELCAMBREPECAN ISLAND~20 MIN ↑CHENIER RIDGESGULF OF MEXICO
Schematic only. SpaceX has not published a parcel map — the highlighted area reflects the announced description (“south of Pecan Island, roughly 50 miles from Lafayette”), not a surveyed boundary.

Timeline

Announcement to first launch.

  1. Aug 25, 2026

    The announcement

    Governor Jeff Landry and SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell announce Starbase Louisiana at an event hall in Abbeville. Elon Musk appears by video and floats a bigger number than the official one: "We could eventually bring probably 10,000 really exciting jobs to Louisiana."

  2. Late 2026 – 2027We are here

    Permitting and environmental review

    Federal and state review of a 125,000-acre coastal site. This is the stretch where the project meets the Chenier Plain — wetlands permitting, FAA licensing, and coastal-use questions all land in this window.

  3. End of 2027

    Construction begins

    Site work starts: launch complexes, propellant farms and a propellant production facility, a power plant, a deep-water port, an airport, and employee housing. The stated goal is a base that does not depend on outside facilities.

  4. 2029

    First launch, targeted

    SpaceX is targeting a first launch from Vermilion Parish as soon as 2029. At full build the site is designed to support thousands of launches a year — which would make it the largest spaceport in the world.

Questions

The things people actually ask.

If an answer here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it with a note.

Where exactly is Starbase Louisiana?

On the Vermilion Parish coast, south of the community of Pecan Island — roughly 50 miles south-southwest of Lafayette. SpaceX has not released a parcel map, so “south of Pecan Island” is the most precise public description available.

How big is it?

About 125,000 acres of coastal marsh. That is not 125,000 acres of buildable land — most of it is Chenier Plain: narrow old beach ridges separated by marsh and open water.

When does anything actually happen?

Construction is slated to begin at the end of 2027, with a first launch targeted as soon as 2029. Between now and then is permitting and environmental review, which at this scale is not a formality.

How many launches?

At full build the site is designed to support thousands of launches a year across ten pads, in five complexes of two. That would make it the largest spaceport in the world.

What gets built besides launch pads?

Propellant farms and a propellant production facility, a power plant, a deep-water shipping port, an airport, and employee housing. SpaceX has described the goal as a base that does not depend on outside facilities for critical services.

How many jobs, and what do they pay?

3,000 direct jobs over ten years at an average salary of $92,600, plus an estimated 8,100 indirect jobs for contractors and vendors. Elon Musk suggested a higher eventual figure — “probably 10,000 really exciting jobs.” Note that an average is not a distribution.

What does Vermilion Parish get?

$20 million in local tax payments up front, then a minimum of $25 million a year for 25 years — more than $825 million total — plus a $25 million donation to the Community Foundation of Acadiana.

Is Cajun Rocket Co affiliated with SpaceX?

No. We are an independent, locally owned merch and reporting company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by SpaceX, and we do not use SpaceX marks or imagery on anything we sell.

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