SpaceX will build a massive rocket launch site in rural southern Louisiana, unveiling plans Tuesday for a $100 billion project that could transform the region’s economy and fragile wetlands.
Situated on roughly 125,000 acres of coastal marshland in Vermilion Parish, the project is expected to grow into SpaceX’s largest launch site. It will be built in an area that has long been an oil and gas hub, but is vulnerable to hurricanes due to the rapid coastal land loss that’s a reality in this region of the state.
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry in recent months pulled out all the stops to clinch the deal, signing laws to provide tax breaks for aerospace companies and shield them from lawsuits over launches.
“With today’s announcement, we are building a future for Louisiana that knows no boundaries, from the oceans to the Earth and even to space,” said Landry, an ally of President Donald Trump, during the unveiling in the small city of Abbeville in Louisiana’s historic Cajun country.
The project is likely to face opposition over its environmental impacts, especially given its location next to two state wildlife refuges that are frequent stops for ducks and other migratory birds. The Trump administration this summer also proposed allowing the Federal Aviation Administration to waive environmental reviews normally required for new space launch permits and site approvals.
The site will include five launch complexes, a rocket propellant production facility and employee housing. Construction will begin at the end of next year, with the facility expected to come online in 2030. It will eventually be the world’s largest spaceport, according to the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.
SpaceX has plans to do “thousands of launches a year” at the location, said Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president and chief operation officer.
Landry, who has courted huge companies like Meta to Louisiana through tax breaks and other incentives, said the announcement marks a major turning point in the state’s economy, which was historically driven in large part by the oil and gas sector.
The governor earlier this year agreed to settle a slew of lawsuits against oil companies filed under prior administrations alleging oil and gas extraction had left behind lasting damage to the state’s coast. Now, Louisiana is building on its oil and gas history and continued production, while investing in a company that represents the future, Landry said.
“Too often, Louisiana was left with the scars awhile others enjoyed the profit,” he said. “Today, what Elon Musk and his team is offering Louisiana is different.”
Musk, a Republican megadonor who founded SpaceX, did not attend the announcement. But in a recorded video that played during the ceremony, he said the project could bring about 10,000 “really exciting jobs” to Vermilion Parish.
Other SpaceX representatives said the company was committed to helping restore and protect Vermilion Parish’s coast. The company is partnering with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s coastal master plan, with plans to tackle “shoreline protection, marsh restoration and wildlife conservation,” Shotwell said.
“The work includes thousands of acres of marsh creation to reconnect fragmented wetlands and help restore the natural storm buffer that this coast has lost,” she said.
The company’s plans center on Pecan Island, a sprawling area of sparsely populated marshland that was owned for years by Exxon Mobil. It’s one of the most productive coastal wildlife areas for migratory waterfowl and is extremely popular with local duck hunters.
Rebecca Triche, executive director of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, said she was glad to hear the company and Landry acknowledge the importance of protecting the coast, but said she would like to see the details.
The group is advocating for a “strong permitting review” before the site is constructed, Triche said. The Louisiana Wildlife Federation and other advocacy groups oppose the FAA’s proposal to potentially waive requirements under the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act and other laws in permitting of new space ports.
“I was left with more questions than there were answers provided about the size and scope of the project, being the first that’s ever been at that size,” Triche said. “We’re concerned about reducing or waiving a permit process that would have usefulness and allow the public to understand the project design and construction.”
SpaceX has faced complaints over environmental impacts at its original launch site in Boca Chica, Texas. The Biden administration fined the company over $148,000 in 2024 for unpermitted dumping of wastewater into wetlands near the launch site, while environmental groups have sued over alleged damages to wildlife habitats and local beaches.
A representative for the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority said there would be “more details to come” on SpaceX’s coastal investments, but that the company has begun a “unique partnership” with the environmental agency.
“Today’s announcement embodies what we mean when we talk about our ‘Working Coast,'” Michael Hare, executive director of the CPRA, said in a statement. “We’re excited to welcome SpaceX to Louisiana and appreciate its commitment to understanding the importance of the coast we love and the vital role it plays in Louisiana’s communities, economy, and way of life.”
