SpaceX has decided that one giant rocket factory in the middle of nowhere wasn't quite enough, so it's building a second one in Louisiana. The company announced it will construct a new spaceport for its Starship mega-rocket on a former Exxon property in Vermilion Parish, west of New Orleans and a mere 10-hour drive from its existing Starbase in South Texas. The price tag? A cool $100 billion, with construction kicking off in 2027 and the first Starship launch supposedly happening in 2029. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) is a bit more cautious, suggesting construction will start by the end of 2027 with operations coming online in 2030.

Before anyone starts packing for the bayou, SpaceX still needs to prove Starship can actually fly to orbit and come back in one piece. The company has conducted 13 test flights since 2023, ticking off many development boxes, but it has yet to return both the booster and the upper stage to the pad in a single flight - a basic requirement for reusability. An upcoming 14th test could send the upper stage to orbit for the first time, but even then, SpaceX must demonstrate it can refurbish the rocket quickly enough for its ambitious goal of multiple launches per week.

That hasn't stopped Elon Musk from betting the farm on Starship. This week, he announced plans to retire the Falcon rockets once Starship achieves weekly flights, confirming earlier Bloomberg reports that SpaceX was already telling customers about the Falcon's impending demise. SpaceX has spent over $8 billion developing Starship, according to SEC filings, and the rocket is essential for maintaining and growing Starlink, the only profitable part of the business. It's also planning a network of AI-dedicated satellites that only Starship can launch.

The new Starbase is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs over 10 years, with an average annual salary of $92,600, and over 30,000 construction jobs at peak. SpaceX hasn't said if it'll create another company town like in Texas, where the former Boca Chica now has its own ZIP code, volunteer fire station, and a police force filled with SpaceX employees and their relatives. The company does plan to make the site a "self-sustaining spaceport" with propellant production, power generation, deep-water shipping, vehicle processing, and an airport.

Texas's Starbase has seen its share of drama, including high injury rates and a fatal construction accident in May. SpaceX, which has faced legal battles over environmental impacts in Texas, says it has already engaged Louisiana's wildlife and coastal agencies to address potential impacts. It's also partnering on coastal restoration projects, including breakwaters to reduce wave energy and shoreline erosion. Vermilion Parish Police Jury President Chad Vallo gushed about the opportunity for local jobs and keeping grandchildren home, which sounds nice, but we'll see how the alligators feel about it.