Western Range launch hub for U.S. Space Force; civil and commercial launches also hosted
Tech giants and startups envisage a future where data centers orbit Earth. Insurers question pricing and risk; space debris and regulatory hurdles loom as hundreds of billions of dollars in hardware move into space.
SpaceX has pledged $100 billion to build a 125,000‑acre Starbase in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, that it says will support thousands of Starship launches a year, add about 3,000 direct jobs and include propellant production, power generation and deep‑water shipping. Construction is scheduled to start in 2027; SpaceX targets initial launches by 2029 while state officials give a 2030 timeline.
Reports say reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were detained near a private missile-operators training facility at Vandenberg Space Force Base ahead of a groundbreaking ceremony. A Space Launch Delta 30 official calls the incident a breakdown in communication; detainees were released after about 30 minutes, with no injuries reported.
SpaceX is set to launch the secret USSF-366 mission for the U.S. Space Force from Vandenberg AFB, California. The two-stage Falcon 9 will carry a classified payload into low Earth orbit, with a live stream planned about 10 minutes before liftoff. If scrubbed, another launch window is scheduled for the following day.
SpaceX has announced a $100 billion plan to develop a 125,000-acre Starbase Louisiana on Pecan Island, expanding beyond Texas and Florida. The site will host methane production, power generation, deep-water shipping, vehicle processing, and potentially an on-site airport. Construction starts next year, with the first launch expected in 2029, creating more than 3,000 jobs.