Just told Tesla we want Cybercabs.
Not one. As many as they’ll sell us.
Signed Terra up for the fleet interest list. Maximum volume. Gulf South.
If the cars drive themselves, I’m not going to be the guy who waited for a brochure.
Fun fact:
Starbase Louisiana launchpads are projected to support more than 15,000 launches every year. That is more than twice the total number of orbital rocket launches in all of human history.
Turning Louisiana marsh into a site capable of that pace will take an enormous amount of material. Full buildout forecasts point to:
- Up to 40 million cubic yards of structural fill dirt.
- Up to 16 million tons of #610 limestone road base.
- Up to 11 million tons of #57 limestone.
- Up to 4 million tons of riprap for shoreline protection.
- Up to 10 million tons of sand.
- Up to 3 million cubic yards of concrete.
- Up to 1.5 million cubic yards of asphalt.
One of the most ambitious aerospace projects on the planet is about to become one of the largest sustained buyers of dirt, rock, sand, concrete, and stone in Louisiana history.
The material demand alone will reshape local supply chains for years.
SpaceX just committed $100 billion to turn a quiet stretch of Vermilion Parish marsh into the largest launch site on Earth.
That single decision creates one of the largest sustained demand shocks Louisiana has ever seen.
In an underdeveloped coastal area with limited industry beyond oil, gas, hunting, and fishing, the project brings:
•3,000 direct high-wage jobs averaging nearly $93,000 (with SpaceX signaling the long-term number could approach 10,000 and 60-80% local hiring)
•More than 8,000 indirect and construction jobs
•Over $645 million in direct local tax payments across 25 years
•Continuous multi-year demand for structural fill, limestone base, sand, concrete, asphalt, road construction, heavy equipment, housing, food service, logistics, and skilled trades
For local businesses the opportunities are immediate and structural. Aggregate suppliers, earthwork contractors, concrete plants, trucking firms, welders, electricians, pipefitters, and equipment rental companies will face years of elevated volume. Service businesses from catering to housing to vehicle maintenance will expand to support thousands of new workers. Companies that join Source Louisiana and position themselves early will have preferred access to contracts.
For individuals the path is equally clear. High school graduates and trade workers in Acadiana now have a multi-decade pipeline of well-paid technical and industrial jobs that do not require leaving the region. Training programs, FastStart workforce partnerships, and on-the-job pathways will convert local talent into the core workforce. Entrepreneurs who open housing, restaurants, transportation, or specialty services near the site stand to build lasting businesses in a place that previously offered few such options.
Lafayette sits 45 to 50 miles north as the nearest major city and regional economic center. The impact will be substantial. Lafayette will absorb significant spillover demand for professional services, higher-end housing, healthcare, education, retail, and entertainment. Engineers, managers, and specialized contractors will base themselves in the Lafayette metro while commuting or staging work south. Local banks, real estate, and commercial developers will see increased activity. The city becomes the natural support hub for a project whose scale exceeds anything previously located in the parish.
This is not a temporary construction boom. It is the creation of a permanent, high-cadence industrial and aerospace complex in a region that has long sought economic diversification. The demand is real, the wage levels are transformative for the local labor market, and the geographic concentration of activity will pull Lafayette deeper into the daily economic orbit of the project.
The window for local businesses and workers to position themselves is open now. Those who move early will define the next chapter of Acadiana’s economy.
@KanekoaTheGreat@grok How will this help the economy in Louisiana and realistically how many jobs and indirect jobs will this project produce long term?