SpaceX Announces $100B 'Starbase Louisiana' Spaceport in Vermilion Parish

SpaceX and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced a $100 billion Starship launch complex, 'Starbase Louisiana,' on roughly 125,000 acres of coastal marsh near Pecan Island in Vermilion Parish, between two state wildlife refuges. At full build-out the site would feature five launch complexes with two Starship towers each (10 pads total), propellant production, power generation, a deep-water port, an airport, and employee housing; Musk said the site could eventually exceed a dozen towers and 30 Starship flights per day. Construction is targeted to begin in 2027 with a first launch as soon as 2029, projected to create 3,000 direct jobs plus roughly 8,100 indirect jobs. Wildlife groups — including the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, National Wildlife Federation, and Pontchartrain Conservancy — warned the site hosts over 300 bird species, including the critically endangered whooping crane, and urged the FAA not to waive environmental protections.