SpaceX Plans 100 Billion Spaceport Facility in Louisiana

Aerospace giant SpaceX announced plans on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, to invest up to $100 billion in constructing a massive new rocket launch facility located in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.

The announcement drove SpaceX shares up approximately 2.5% on Tuesday. According to state officials, the proposed complex will serve as the primary launch site for Starship, the largest rocket ever developed.

State economic development representatives outlined the broad scope of the deal in a joint announcement outlining operations for the state's upcoming aerospace complex.

"Support thousands of launches annually," according to a statement from the Louisiana Economic Development office.

SpaceX leadership released video footage outlining the multi-year search for the site alongside projections for local employment opportunites in the region.

The company would bring "probably 10,000 really exciting jobs" to Louisiana with the spaceport, Musk said in a video.

Selection of the site followed a seven-year search for location offering adequate fuel access and launch pad space. In its announcement, SpaceX detailed environmental measures planned for the surrounding wetlands.

SpaceX said it would work on a "historic coastal restoration" in Louisiana, in partnership with the state to "bring the marsh back" and ensure the wetlands around its new facility will have "storm protection."

The project follows previous environmental issues at the company's Boca Chica, Texas facility. A 2023 test flight caused concrete damage and a fire across four acres of state park land, while a 2024 state notice cited Clean Water Act violations involving water deluge systems.

Louisiana marks the fourth launch site for SpaceX as operations expand across the Southern United States. The company's related ventures include data center projects in Memphis, Tesla operations in Austin, and a planned joint AI chip manufacturing plant in Grimes County, Texas.