SpaceX is planning a major new Starship launch and manufacturing complex in coastal Louisiana, according to CNBC and Ars Technica, with the investment described as $100 billion or up to $100 billion. The project, branded Starbase Louisiana, would give SpaceX another large launch base beyond its Texas and Florida operations as it tries to scale Starship toward far higher flight rates. CNBC reports that Louisiana Economic Development said SpaceX will establish the site in Vermillion Parish to “support thousands of launches annually.” Ars Technica reports that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said Tuesday that SpaceX will commit $100 billion to develop Starship factories and launch pads in the state’s coastal areas, and that the site is generally referred to as Pecan Island, near Abbeville. The planned facility is not just a pad complex. Ars Technica reports that SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell described Starbase Louisiana as a self-sustaining spaceport with propellant production, power generation, deep-water shipping, vehicle processing facilities, and an airport on site. The outlet also reports that SpaceX plans to begin construction of the first launch facilities in 2027 and is targeting an initial launch from Louisiana by 2029. The strategic logic is launch capacity. Ars Technica reports that SpaceX currently has one operational Starship launch site at Starbase Texas, another in development there, and three more pads being built in Florida at Cape Canaveral. The Florida and Texas sites are constrained in different ways: Florida has multiple launch operators competing for range access, while the Texas site covers about 350 acres and must preserve public beach access as much as possible along a single road, according to Ars Technica. Louisiana would give SpaceX a larger footprint. Ars Technica reports that the company is expected to have access to about 125,000 acres in southern Louisiana, though Shotwell said SpaceX would use only a small portion and seek to preserve wetlands for wildlife and recreational uses. The site also offers proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway and deep-water access for transporting rockets and payloads, Ars Technica reports. The project is tied directly to Starship, SpaceX’s in-development, fully reusable heavy rocket. CNBC reports that Starbase Louisiana would serve as the main launch facility for Starship once built. Both outlets connect the Louisiana project to SpaceX’s stated need for much higher launch cadence, with CNBC citing the company’s ambitions around Starlink, orbital data centers, and Mars, and Ars Technica reporting that SpaceX eventually plans to launch dozens of Starship rockets a day. Environmental risk is already part of the story. CNBC reports that SpaceX said it would work with Louisiana on “historic coastal restoration,” including efforts to bring marshland back and improve storm protection around the facility. Ars Technica reports that SpaceX’s initial work will focus on preventing coastal erosion in an area where the state is losing one to three meters a year, including potential shoreline breakwaters as part of an expansion of Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan. That commitment will be watched closely because SpaceX’s Texas Starbase has faced scrutiny. CNBC reports that the company has faced community backlash, lawsuits, fines, and environmental violations at Boca Chica, including damage after Starship’s first test flight in April 2023 and a 2024 Clean Water Act notice tied to pollutants released into or near Texas waters from its water deluge system. Ars Technica separately notes that the Louisiana site sits in coastal wetlands that support waterfowl and other wildlife, and that the project will face environmental challenges. Who benefits: SpaceX benefits if Louisiana gives it more room, range access, and logistics capacity for Starship. Louisiana could benefit if the project advances, with CNBC reporting Elon Musk said the spaceport would bring “probably 10,000” jobs to the state. Who's exposed: SpaceX is exposed to environmental and execution risk in a sensitive coastal wetland area. Communities and wildlife habitats near the site are also exposed to the effects of construction, launch operations, and shoreline engineering.