--- title: "SpaceX Reveals Plans For Hugely Expanded Spaceport in Texas" description: "SpaceX is making big moves in developing its launch site in South Texas, with plans for its expanded spaceport going public, as Ars Technica reports." date: "2021-03-08" modified: "2021-03-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-plans-expanded-spaceport-texas" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Reveals Plans For Hugely Expanded Spaceport in Texas ![SpaceX is making big moves in developing its launch site in South Texas, with plans for its expanded spaceport going public.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Everything's Bigger SpaceX is making money moves in developing its launch site in South Texas, [*Ars Technica* reports](), with plans for its expanded spaceport now public. The plans, as outlined in a [public notice](), include plans for "the continued development of the SpaceX vertical launch area with the expansion and addition of test, orbital, and landing pads, integration towers, associated infrastructure, stormwater management features and vehicle parking." The company is also planning to construct one additional orbital and one suborbital launch pad, as well as a large "tank farm" for ground support equipment — a substantial expansion of its existing launch facilities. ## Starship HQ The expanded launch site will cover a vast area. "The proposed expansion will impact 10.94 acres of mud flats, 5.94 acres of estuarine wetlands, and 0.28 acres of non-tidal wetlands," the notice reads. That is still far smaller however than other launch sites, including the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, as *Ars* points out. Sketches for the proposed site even include a final resting place for "Starhopper," the company's first Starship prototype, near the site's entrance. The company is still undergoing an environmental assessment by the Federal Aviation Administration. ## Starbase Power The news comes after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested incorporating the nearby village of Boca Chica to [create a new town]() called "Starbase." SpaceX has had to buy considerable amounts of land and property to make room for the testing site. It makes sense for the company to build out its Starship HQ, and fortunately, SpaceX is going by the books, for instance including stormwater ponds as a way to safeguard against possible flooding. But if [recent squabbles]() with the FAA over safety measures surrounding its recent Starship launches are anything to go by, the area is about to become a lot busier — and louder. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX reveals the grand extent of its starport plans in South Texas]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on Starship:** *[Former NASA Leader Says SpaceX Should Build NASA’s Moon Rocket]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()