USD/BTC = $79,880
Block 965,817
TL:DR

Aerospace and space transportation company SpaceX said it will invest $100 billion to build a spaceport in Vermillion Parish, Louisiana, approximately 45 miles southwest of Lafayette on the Gulf coast.

Starbase, Louisiana, will be the largest launch facility in the world, a global aerospace hub that will support thousands of launches per year and advance spaceflight.

SpaceX currently operates Dragon crew and cargo spacecraft, as well as Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. In development is the reusable Starship spacecraft system that will carry both crew and cargo and the Starship Human Landing System (HLS), which is being specialized for missions to the Moon.

"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 said. "Starbase, Louisiana will unlock that future."

The facility, which will be built on an approximately 130,000-acre piece of Gulf-front property formerly owned by Exxon, is expected to feature five launch complexes, each with two launch pads; propellant farms; a propellant production facility and employee housing.

The project, state officials said, will also require new generation and transmission infrastructure, the cost of which SpaceX will assume. The company is also working with the  Louisiana Department of Transportation (DOTD) to determine whether improvements to Highway 82, the roadway that will separate communities to the north from the launch complex, will be necessary. If so, the agency and the company are expected to share the costs based on how much of the work is directly related to the project.

Construction for Starbase, Louisiana is expected to start next year, with the first launch expected as early as 2029.

As an incentive to build in Vermillion Parish, the State of Louisiana offered SpaceX an incentives package based on hitting targets related to capital investment, job creation and a $25 million charitable community donation. It’s Incentives include participation in the state’s new Aerospace Facilities and Activities Rebate, the High Impact Jobs program and Louisiana Economic Development's FastStart recruitment program.

SpaceX will also work with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and other agencies to address potential impacts to wildlife, fisheries and their supporting habitats, state officials said.

"Today is a pivotal moment for Louisiana," said Gov. Jeff Landry. "This announcement pushes our state beyond $250 billion in new investment and puts us at the center of the next great frontier.

"We have the people and talent to build what the world once thought impossible, creating jobs on land, across the Gulf and through space," Gov. Landry said. "Our job creation knows no bounds. This is America First. This is Louisiana First. I want to thank Elon Musk and the entire SpaceX team for choosing Louisiana."

My Thoughts 💭

With this and Meta and its massive AI data center build out Louisiana is making investments that will pay off tremendously in the next generation. Reading articles like this makes me so bullish on Space X. They are so far head of the competition in the private space race. When valuations compress and people get shaken out buy shares hand over fist!!