Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX is building a next-generation spacecraft launch base in the U.S. state of Louisiana.

SpaceX announced on the 25th, local time, that it will invest $100 billion, approximately 138 trillion won, to develop about 125,000 acres (approx. 506 square kilometers) of wetland in Pecan Island, southern Louisiana, into a high-frequency space launch base named "Starbase Louisiana."

SpaceX explained that the launch base will feature 10 launch pads for its mega-spacecraft Starship, deep-sea transportation facilities, and spacecraft processing facilities.

A large-scale dedicated airport and residential complex will also be constructed to handle internal logistics and personnel transport within the base.

SpaceX decided to build this base in Louisiana to utilize local natural gas resources.

SpaceX plans to use natural gas to power its own on-site power plant and liquefy the gas on-site to procure liquid methane, the main fuel for Starship.

Describing the base as self-sufficient, SpaceX noted that it is capable of handling the entire process ranging from spacecraft production, assembly, and repair to personnel, energy, and logistics for launches.

CEO Elon Musk also expressed gratitude to Governor Jeff Landry on X, emphasizing that the base will be "the largest launch base on Earth, capable of more than 30 Starship flights per day."

Musk's stated goal appears primarily aimed at constructing space data centers.

SpaceX has previously submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 1 million satellites to build space data centers.

This is also seen as a step toward achieving Musk's long-held dream of establishing a Martian colony, which he has repeatedly mentioned.

In a promotional video for the base development, CEO Musk stressed, "To expand humanity's habitats to multiple planets, rather than just sending a few people like tourists and coming back, a massive transport volume is required."

Louisiana immediately expressed welcome and anticipation.

Governor Landry praised the initiative, saying, "Other major corporations simply drained resources from Louisiana and left scars behind, but what Elon Musk and his team have proposed to Louisiana is a permanent future and sustainable prosperity."

Landry's criticism of major corporations stems from the history of the Pecan Island site, which was owned by ExxonMobil for decades before being returned to the state following legal disputes over coastal land loss and environmental pollution.

Governor Landry even compared SpaceX's new base construction plan to the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.

SpaceX plans to begin construction as early as next year and conduct its first launch from the new base in 2029.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)