PECAN ISLAND, La. — SpaceX announced plans to invest $100 billion in a launch campus in Vermilion Parish, a project state officials say will create thousands of jobs and establish the company’s largest launch site.
The company expects to create 3,000 direct jobs over the next 10 years, with an average annual salary of $92,600. According to Louisiana Economic Development, that salary is 192% above the average wage in Vermilion Parish.
LED estimates the project will also generate more than 8,100 indirect jobs, bringing the total projected employment impact to more than 11,100 jobs in Acadiana.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first launch targeted for as soon as 2029.
“Today is a pivotal moment for Louisiana. This announcement pushes our state beyond $250 billion in new investment and puts us at the center of the next great frontier,” Gov. Jeff Landry said. “We have the people and talent to build what the world once thought impossible, creating jobs on land, across the Gulf and through space.”
Vermilion Parish would become SpaceX’s fourth and largest launch location. At full buildout, the site is expected to include five launch complexes, each containing two launch pads and a propellant farm.
Plans also call for a propellant production facility, power-generation infrastructure, vehicle-processing facilities, and housing for employees and their families.
The location is expected to play a central role in increasing launches of Starship, SpaceX’s next-generation reusable launch system. The company also operates its Falcon rockets, Dragon spacecraft, and Starlink satellite network.
“We’re preparing to build a spaceport that, until now, has only existed in science fiction,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said. “SpaceX was founded to bring about a future where humans are out exploring amongst the stars, which will only be possible when we make going to space as routine as flying on an airplane.”
Musk referred to the planned facility as “Starbase, Louisiana.”
According to LED, Louisiana’s Gulf Coast location would allow launches along a range of trajectories. State officials also cited the area’s available acreage and natural gas resources, which could provide power and fuel for the facility, as factors in the company’s decision.
The project will be built on former Exxon property sold to SpaceX by the state. The site will return to commercial use as part of the development.
LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said the project could create new career opportunities for workers and businesses with experience in Louisiana’s oil and gas industry.
“Louisiana’s coast helps power America’s economy through the oil and gas industry,” Bourgeois said. “While opportunities in that industry have changed over time, the talent, ingenuity and work ethic that built it remain.”
State and local incentives
Louisiana offered SpaceX an incentives package contingent upon the company meeting capital investment and job-creation requirements and making a $25 million charitable donation to the Community Foundation of Acadiana. The donation is intended to address regional needs associated with growth from the project.
SpaceX is expected to participate in Louisiana’s Aerospace Facilities and Activities Rebate, which was created through Act 190 of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session, and the state’s High Impact Jobs program.
The company will also receive recruitment and workforce assistance through LED FastStart.
LED plans to fund dedicated contract positions at state agencies that will handle work associated with the development. Those positions will support the Louisiana departments of Transportation and Development, Environmental Quality, Wildlife and Fisheries, and Conservation and Energy, along with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
State officials said the additional positions are intended to prevent the project’s permitting, infrastructure, environmental, and coastal demands from disrupting existing state services.
SpaceX has also entered into a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with local taxing bodies.
Under the agreement, the company will make an upfront payment of $20 million and pay the parish at least $25 million annually for 25 years. The annual payment will increase through an agreed-upon escalator.
The agreement is expected to generate more than $820 million in direct payments to local government during that period.
Vermilion Parish Police Jury President Chad Vallo said the development would provide additional employment opportunities for residents.
“We are very excited to be in this position to receive one of the best opportunities of a lifetime which will bring not only a variety of jobs to our Parish but will offer opportunities to our grandchildren allowing them to stay home for employment,” Vallo said.
Environmental review and public outreach
SpaceX has begun working with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and other state agencies to evaluate possible effects on wildlife, fisheries, and coastal habitats.
The company said it plans to work with conservation organizations and experts to identify ways to protect natural resources surrounding the property and to avoid, minimize, or mitigate environmental impacts.
SpaceX also plans to hold town halls and other community meetings in the surrounding area. Dates and locations have not been announced.
The company has joined Source Louisiana, the state’s online database connecting Louisiana businesses with contracting and vendor opportunities associated with major economic development projects. State officials are encouraging businesses interested in working on the SpaceX development to register or update their profiles in the database.
SpaceX also announced a discount on Starlink internet service for Vermilion Parish residents. New and existing customers will receive a 50% discount on eligible monthly plans, and new customers will not be charged upfront hardware costs.
