Space X has confirmed plans to build a $100bn launch site in Louisiana for its Starship rocket as Elon Musk’s company plans to expand operations to support orbital data centres and flights to the Moon and Mars.

The project was unveiled by Louisiana’s Republican governor Jeff Landry at an event alongside Space X’s president Gwynne Shotwell. The facility will span roughly 125,000 acres in an area known as Pecan Island on the Gulf Coast, three hours west of New Orleans. Construction starts next year, with first flights in 2029.

Space X is increasing its launch pace after raising $86bn in its June IPO. The site will include five launch complexes with two pads each. The 407-foot-tall Starship rocket is central to ambitions, with plans to reuse both stages and increase payload. Refuelling in orbit is key for lunar and Martian missions.

The company has expanded in Texas (Starbase) and moved its legal base there. Louisiana offered a competitive incentives package, with Space X paying $25mn annually to the parish. Some residents have opposed the project due to environmental concerns, following Exxon Mobil’s earlier abandonment of the site. Landry said: "These acres will be home to Space X and built by Louisiana hands..."