SpaceX Nears Agreement for Launch Site on Louisiana’s Pecan Island

Louisiana is in the final stages of a deal that would give SpaceX control of roughly 130,000 acres on Pecan Island, an 18‑mile stretch of marshland in Vermilion Parish about 45 miles southwest of Lafayette. The agreement is linked to a settlement of dozens of coastal lawsuits against ExxonMobil, under which the oil company will transfer land it has owned since the 1950s.

Governor Jeff Landry is expected to announce the deal this month. The site offers deep‑water access via the Intracoastal Waterway, a location midway between SpaceX’s Texas and Florida facilities, and a local natural‑gas supply, factors that support the company’s plan to launch up to a million low‑Earth‑orbit satellites and add new launch pads. Pecan Island has a permanent population of about 100 residents.