SpaceX begins construction on $250 million 'gigabay' at Starbase to scale Starship production

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - MARCH 13: The Starbase facility is seen a day before Starship Flight 3's scheduled launch near Boca Chica beach on March 13, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. SpaceX is preparing to launch its first Starship test of 2024. The operation will be SpaceX's third attempt at launching a rocket into space. If successful, the company will have achieved a historic milestone for the world's largest rocket being launched into space. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - MARCH 13: The Starbase facility is seen a day before Starship Flight 3's scheduled launch near Boca Chica beach on March 13, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. SpaceX is preparing to launch its first Starship test of 2024. The operation will be SpaceX's third attempt at launching a rocket into space. If successful, the company will have achieved a historic milestone for the world's largest rocket being launched into space. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) Photo credit (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

SpaceX has filed permits to build a 700,000-square-foot facility at its Starbase site in South Texas, starting construction July 1, 2025, with completion expected by December 2026.

The privately funded project, estimated at $250 million, is designed to support manufacturing, integration and refurbishment of its Starship rockets.

According to company filings, the new “gigabay” is intended to boost production capacity to as many as 1,000 reusable Starship vehicles per year by the end of the decade.

The expansion is part of a broader push to increase launch cadence and support long-term goals including missions beyond Earth orbit.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)