NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana officials and SpaceX representatives moved Thursday to clarify the scope and timeline of the company's planned $100 billion rocket facility in Acadiana, a day after Elon Musk's firm announced the project as its largest launch site.

SpaceX confirmed it intends to build the manufacturing and launch complex in southern Louisiana, describing it as central to expanded Starship production. Governor Jeff Landry's office and local economic development authorities have promoted the investment as a generational boost to the region's job market.

Attention turned to permitting, land acquisition and environmental review, given the site's proximity to Gulf Coast wetlands. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and coastal advocacy groups signalled they would examine potential impacts on fisheries and protected habitats before construction advances.

The scale of the pledged spending drew comparisons with SpaceX's existing Starbase operations in Boca Chica, Texas, where environmental disputes have periodically delayed launches. Lafayette Parish economic officials said the facility could create thousands of jobs, though detailed hiring and timeline figures were not yet finalised.

SpaceX has not published a firm construction start date, and state agencies indicated the regulatory process would take months. Commercial launch sector analysts said the Louisiana site reflects SpaceX's push to diversify manufacturing capacity as Starship flight cadence increases.