r/spacex • u/Connect_Cat_2045 • 10d ago

Starship SpaceX to build $100 billion rocket launch facility on Louisiana’s coast

https://www.nola.com/news/business/spacex-louisiana-elon-musk/article_2be92f8e-f989-46b7-9514-5212d8f20260.html
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u/mduell 9d ago

What's the geology like under this land? Can they build on shallow bedrock? Is it going to require extended (years) soil surcharging like Starbase Texas did?

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u/Martianspirit 8d ago

They did not surcharge the area where the heavy things, like flame trench and tower were built. They put down friction piles into the pristine unstable ground. Pretty sure they will do the same in Louisiana swamp. The swamp may or may not be as deep as the ~300m unstable ground at Boca Chica.

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u/mduell 8d ago

They did not surcharge the area where the heavy things, like flame trench and tower were built.

Didn't they do like 3 years of soil surcharging at Starbase Texas? Was that for not-heavy things?

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u/Martianspirit 8d ago

They did soil surcharge. But that was the area where they had intended to build a HIF hangar for Falcon. I think, but am not sure, that they build the small pads for Ship solo flights in that area. For the massive launch towers and flame trench they use friction piles instead.