SpaceX in Acadiana: Updates and Timeline

Editor’s note: Originally published on May 14, 2026, this has been updated to reflect new information. 

Screenshot of Fox 8 New Orleans live stream of SpaceX meeting

When I first published this piece in May, there was no confirmation regarding the rumors of SpaceX in Acadiana, only a vague SpaceX post on X that addressed the rumors but did not confirm or deny the information. Additionally, two aerospace-related bills were awaiting the governor’s approval.

Today, Louisiana Economic Development (LED) confirmed the rumors.

Last week, rumors surfaced about a SpaceX meeting on Tuesday with Governor Jeff Landry. Prior to that, information regarding the bills and two new executive orders had been released. See the details and other key events in the timeline below, or jump to related news regarding new facilities coming to Louisiana.

Recap: By now, you’ve probably heard the rumor about SpaceX in Acadiana, if you weren’t already involved in the local whispers. And, if you haven’t, the rumor is that SpaceX is planning for a 136,000-acre campus in Louisiana, specifically in Vermilion Parish.

Like a lot of Louisianians, I first heard about this rumor when I opened Instagram in May and saw a post by @whatspoppinnola, which read, “According to a local real estate insider Jim Keaty, no official documents have surfaced yet, but a few sources are quietly confirming the deal.”

The post shared that the site for the rumored campus is near Pecan Island and Freshwater City. Since then, I’ve been tracing the rumors of a potential SpaceX deal.

SpaceX in Acadiana Rumor and Update Timeline

• Aug. 25 – LED Announcement and Fox8 Live Stream

LED published a press release confirming a SpaceX deal in Vermilion Parish. SpaceX will invest $100 billion into its Louisiana operations, creating its largest facility yet. There is no mention of how many acres the facility will cover.

Fox 8 New Orleans live-streamed the rumored Aug. 25 SpaceX meeting with Governor Jeff Landry.

• Aug. 19 – NOLA.com Article

Just last week, NOLA.com published an online article sharing that Governor Jeff Landry invited officials to a SpaceX event on Tuesday, Aug. 24, where he is expected to announce a deal with SpaceX. While many other news sites have reshared this information, there is no confirmation from the governor’s office or SpaceX.

• Aug. 17 – Landry’s Facebook Post

In a Facebook video post on Aug. 17, Landry shared the signing of two new executive orders to help businesses come to Louisiana. “We’ve got historical investment that is coming into our state and creating opportunities that are life-changing for our citizens,” said Landry in the video. “The last thing we want is to have the government get in the way of these businesses.”

• Aug. 12 – Two Executive Orders

The Louisiana Legislature website shared the two new executive orders signed by Landry:

• Executive Order JML 26-078: Expedited Environmental Permitting
  • According to Landry, the order is “going to clear the way so that people who want to invest in businesses and projects in Louisiana know right off the bat if they need a federal permit or they simply just need a state permit. And then it is instructing our state agencies to ensure that that permitting process is streamlined.”
• Executive Order JML 26-079: Securing Louisiana’s Critical Minerals Supply Chain and Unleashing Domestic Alumina Production
  • “We’re going to make sure that the permitting process when it comes to extracting, mining or refining critical minerals is done in an expedited manner, so that those who want to invest and create great-paying jobs here in Louisiana don’t have to go through a lot of red tape,” said Landry.

• Aug. 5 – WDSU Reports Governor’s Support

WDSU shared a press interview of Governor Jeff Landry on Aug. 5. While it’s not clear what specific question he was asked, in the video Landry confirms support for “any company” that will help Louisiana.

• July 1 – New Bill Regarding Aerospace Items in Effect 

On March 31, two bills were introduced, HB1088 and HB1179. On July 1, HB1088, which “authorizes a state and local sales and use tax rebate on the purchase of certain items used in aerospace facilities and activities,” became effective.

• May 13 – SpaceX Post

In a repost of the rumor, SpaceX wrote, “It’s no secret that we intend to launch Starship a lot, targeting thousands of flights per year. That cadence will require the ability to launch from many different locations, so we are constantly exploring to find viable sites to expand Starship operations in the future, both domestically and internationally.”

While the post is in response to the SpaceX in Acadiana rumors, it does not confirm or deny a location specifically in Acadiana.

SpaceX on X

• May 11 – Governor Signs Aerospace Bills

On May 11, Governor Jeff Landry approved the following bills that were first introduced on March 31:

• HB1088 – Authorizes a state and local sales and use tax rebate on the purchase of certain items used in aerospace facilities and activities
• HB1179 – Extends eligibility for the ad valorem tax exemption for certain manufacturing establishments to certain aerospace manufacturing establishments

HB1179 also became effective on May 11.

• May 5 – @whatspoppinnola, @bootkrewemedia and Others Post

As mentioned above, @whatspoppinnola, in a collab post with other accounts, posted about the rumor, referencing Jim Keaty.

• April 30 – Acadiana Realtor Jim Keaty Posts on Facebook

I found Keaty’s original blog post for Keaty Real Estate, located in Lafayette, where he shares that people have been asking him about SpaceX buying land in the area.

Keaty writes, “I’ve called everyone I could think of who might know–government officials, longtime Pecan Island locals, energy insiders, hunting-lease holders. No one is denying it. A few are quietly confirming it. But not a single official document has surfaced.”

The main reason Keaty believes the rumor is due to ExxonMobil’s 2025 announcement to develop a 125,000-acre project. Keaty shares that the permitting has stalled, and he believes purchasing the land from ExxonMobil is “exactly the kind of deal Elon Musk’s team would chase.”

Additionally, Keaty shares that Freshwater City in Vermilion Parish sits between SpaceX’s Boca Chica manufacturing hub (450 miles west) and Cape Canaveral (850 miles east), connected by the protected Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

• April 18 – The State Treasurer’s Campaign Manager Posts

Before even Keaty’s blog post, Brendon Dubroc, the campaign manager for the Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, made a Facebook post stating, “The LA legislature is considering a package of bills (HB 1088, HB 1179) designed to provide massive sales and property tax breaks for companies that build, launch and service rockets, specifically aimed at making Louisiana competitive with Texas and Florida.”

• March 31 – Talk of Two Bills to Benefit Aerospace Facilities

The Louisiana State Legislature defines the bills Dubroc references in his post as follows:

• • HB1088 – Authorizes a state and local sales and use tax rebate on the purchase of certain items used in aerospace facilities and activities
  • HB1179 – Extends eligibility for the ad valorem tax exemption for certain manufacturing establishments to certain aerospace manufacturing establishments

Legislative mention of the bills was first documented on March 31.

Related News

So, are the bills and executive orders related to the SpaceX in Acadiana rumors? Is Louisiana attempting to create benefits for buyers like SpaceX? While only time will tell, it’s interesting to note the following trends in the state, regarding big businesses buying land and developing sites:

• July 18: Louisiana Economic Development (LED) announced that Amazon added $6 billion to its Louisiana data center investment, bringing the total to $18 billion.
• July 13: LED shared that Meta committed more than $50 billion for Richland Parish Data Center, the company’s largest facility globally.
• April 28: Turner Industries announces nuclear fabrication facilities in Acadiana
• Feb. 23: Amazon selected Louisiana for $12 billion data center campuses across Caddo and Bossier parishes. Operations will launch in phases over the next several years.
• Dec. 15, 2025: Hut 8, an energy infrastructure platform, selected West Feliciana Parish for its River Bend AI data center. Construction is expected to end in the second quarter of 2027.
• Dec. 4, 2024: Meta selected Richland Parish for its 4-million-square-foot data site. Construction is expected to continue until 2030.