New Delhi: Elon Musk-backed SpaceX will invest $100 billion to build a large-scale launch facility in Louisiana with the planned spaceport expected to create more than 11,100 direct and indirect jobs over the next decade, according to the Louisiana Economic Development.
SpaceX said the facility — to be called Starbase Louisiana — will be a high-cadence launch site for its Starship spacecraft and will be built in Vermilion Parish.
In addition, Musk said on X that the facility will ultimately have more than a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth.
“SpaceX makes sci-fi real,” Musk said while resharing the company’s announcement on X.
Moreover, the Louisiana Economic Development agency said the facility is designed to support thousands of launches annually and will provide infrastructure to significantly increase launch frequency and expand access to space.
The project is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs over the next 10 years with an average annual salary of $92,600 or 192 per cent above the average wage in Vermilion Parish, it added.
Meanwhile, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry welcomed the investment and described it as a major milestone for the state and said the project would strengthen Louisiana’s position in the aerospace sector.
However, the project is also estimated to generate more than 8,100 indirect jobs, taking the total number of new job opportunities in the Acadiana region to more than 11,100.
The Louisiana facility will help establish a high-cadence launch capability for Starship and open a pathway for the spacecraft’s future missions, according to SpaceX.
The announcement comes as SpaceX continues to expand infrastructure for Starship, its next-generation launch vehicle designed for missions including large-scale space transport and future exploration.
(IANS)
