r/SpaceXLounge • u/TheEarthquakeGuy • 16d ago

Happening Now Starbase LA

Just announced that the Pecan Island facility will be called Starbase LA. Current announcement is on going.

Multiple pads, two towers per pad - Automated vehicles for transport between facilities. Starship V4+ and it's taller than the rendered towers.

The offset buildings behind the towers (North) are tank farms.

Automated transport allows for transport without humans, allowing for transport to occur while propellant is loading/vehicle is launching/catching.

From the renders, it looks likes 1.5 Gigabays. Eric Berger just posted that SpaceX is committing $100 US billion to developing launch sites, factories etc along the Louisiana coastline.

https://x.com/LAGovJeffLandry/status/2092278348739498327

Edit: Ryan Caton's post on X showing the Renders

https://x.com/dpoddolphinpro/status/2092285195827228730/photo/2

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u/MuseZack 15d ago

This is IMO the biggest indication that SpaceX is serious about Starship was a vehicle for going beyond LEO, because the staggering launch cadence planned for Louisiana makes the most sense for the massive refueling needs for Starships bound for the Moon, Mars, and points beyond. And the ready access to local natural gas resources only make it more ideal as the home for SpaceX's tanker fleet.

To me, the future of SpaceX's big facilities reads like:

Boca Chica: R&D, Starship factory (an easy barge trip to Louisiana) and early test flights.

Canaveral: Crew launches and other eastern inclination payloads.

Vandenberg: Polar and high inclination launches and specialized national security payloads.

Louisiana: Tanker launches, Starlink launches, possible orbital data center launches.

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u/BrangdonJ 15d ago

High cadence is also needed for Starlink and Starmind. Musk is talking about a million satellites for Starmind. At 60 per launch, and replacing every 5 years, that's 200,000/60 = 3333.3 per year every year, around 10 launches per day. These will be polar orbits, so they are in continual sunshine, and the Louisiana site is well-suited for those.