SpaceX (SPCX.US) is investing $100 billion to build the Starship super launch base, aiming to deploy a million space data center satellites.

SpaceX (SPCX.US) plans to construct a new Starship launch facility on the southern coast of Louisiana, with an investment of up to $100 billion, further expanding the launch capacity of this heavy rocket. The project will not only become SpaceX's third potential Starship launch site but will also provide essential infrastructure support for the company's future deployment of space data center satellites, upgraded Starlink satellites, and lunar mission operations. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced the plan alongside SpaceX executives on Tuesday. According to the plan, SpaceX has been authorized to build the new facility on approximately 125,000 acres (about 506 square kilometers) of land in the Pecan Island area of southern Louisiana. Once completed, it will be the third site available for Starship launches after South Texas and Cape Canaveral, Florida. Currently, Starship is primarily manufactured and launched in South Texas, while SpaceX is also developing a second launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's President and COO, stated at the press conference that this will be an "unprecedented" project, bringing technologies that once seemed to be from the realm of science fiction into reality. Having completed the largest IPO in history in June, SpaceX is currently in a phase of significant infrastructure expansion. In addition to the new Starship launch facility, the company has also initiated the construction of a chip factory named "Terafab" in Grimes County, Texas. Terafab is a crucial part of CEO Elon Musk's push for supply chain vertical integration and the development of the orbital data center program. Musk previously set very ambitious long-term goals for Starship, hoping to achieve multiple launches per day once the system is fully matured. Increasing launch sites will provide SpaceX with greater operational flexibility to enhance Starship's launch frequency, although so far this year, Starship has completed only two launches. The geographical location of the Louisiana facility is particularly significant for SpaceX's future space data center plans. Once launched from there, Starship can fly south over the Gulf of Mexico and through polar regions, making it easier to deploy satellites into near-polar orbits. SpaceX has previously proposed an ambitious plan to eventually establish a constellation of data center satellites with up to 1 million units, many of which are expected to be deployed in near-polar orbits. Additionally, the area around Pecan Island has natural gas resources that can provide the necessary fuel for Starship, which is one of the important factors for SpaceX's selection of the region. According to the planning released by the Louisiana government, the new facility is expected to include five integrated launch complexes, each equipped with two launch pads, totaling up to ten launch pads. The facility will also feature propellant production facilities, power generation facilities, Starship rocket processing facilities, and residential areas for SpaceX employees and their families. Construction of the project is planned to commence in 2027, with the inaugural Starship launch expected in 2029. Shotwell also mentioned the possibility of building an airport locally in the future and predicted that the entire project may create approximately 3,000 to 10,000 jobs in the area. As SpaceX's business landscape continues to expand, Starship is expected to gradually become the most important launch platform in the company's entire rocket system. In the short term, Starship will be used to launch a new generation of larger and upgraded Starlink satellites, thereby increasing the capacity of SpaceX's existing satellite internet system. In the longer term, Starship will undertake two key missions: SpaceX plans to begin deploying orbital data centers using Starship as early as 2027; at the same time, the rocket is also expected to execute NASA's manned lunar missions, delivering astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2028. On Tuesday, SpaceX also completed the planned final Falcon 9 rocket Starlink launch mission from Florida. According to the company's plan, future Starlink missions utilizing Falcon 9 will be concentrated in California, while Starlink launch missions from Florida will gradually be transferred to Starship after it is fully operational. The land where Pecan Island is located was previously held by Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM.US) for decades and was later returned to the Louisiana government under a settlement agreement related to coastal land loss lawsuits. With SpaceX's arrival, the company also pledged to collaborate with the Louisiana government on large-scale coastal ecological restoration projects, including wetland protection, wildlife habitat maintenance, and enhancing storm protection capabilities. Overall, the $100 billion Louisiana Starbase is not only a new rocket launch facility but also an essential part of SpaceX's efforts to establish next-generation space infrastructure around Starship. If Musk's plans for high-frequency Starship launches, a million data center satellites, and orbital data centers come to fruition, SpaceX's demand for rocket launch capabilities will far exceed current levels. Concurrently, establishing three Starship bases in Texas, Florida, and Louisiana will provide the infrastructure support needed to significantly increase launch frequency in the future.