Elon Musk’s SpaceX has announced plans to build its largest launch facility yet in Louisiana, a $100 billion project designed to support thousands of Starship missions each year and significantly expand the company’s presence beyond Texas and Florida.

The new facility, named Starbase, Louisiana, will cover about 125,000 acres, or 50,585 hectares, in the southern US state. Construction is expected to begin next year, with SpaceX targeting its first Starship launch from the site in 2029.

SpaceX said the facility would support missions to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. The project forms part of the company’s broader plans to increase launch capacity as it pursues ambitious goals in space exploration, satellite services and artificial intelligence.

The company said the Louisiana base would create more than 3,000 direct jobs. Louisiana Economic Development estimates that a further 8,100 indirect jobs could also be created through related economic activity.

According to the agency, workers at the facility are expected to earn average wages nearly three times higher than the current regional average. Officials said the project could establish Louisiana as a major centre for next-generation aerospace operations.

“The historic project will establish Louisiana as a global hub for next-generation aerospace, with the capacity and infrastructure needed to dramatically increase launch frequency and expand access to space,” the Louisiana Economic Development agency said.

The Louisiana site will share its name with SpaceX’s existing Starbase operations in Texas. In 2025, residents in part of Cameron County, where the company carries out testing and development work, voted to incorporate the area as a city called Starbase.

The announcement comes as SpaceX pursues an aggressive expansion strategy. Musk has outlined plans for missions to Mars, expanded Starship operations and major investments in artificial intelligence and computing infrastructure.

Earlier this month, SpaceX and Musk’s electric vehicle and robotics company Tesla announced plans to build a $16.8 billion AI chip manufacturing complex in Texas known as Terafab. The proposed facility is intended to support growing demand for computing power for AI, robotics and related technologies.

SpaceX is also facing increasing scrutiny from investors following its public market debut in June, when its shares began trading on the technology-focused Nasdaq in what was described as the largest stock market debut in history.

The company’s stock has fallen more than 30% from the highs reached shortly after trading began, although it remains above its initial offer price of $135.

Investors are now watching whether SpaceX can balance the enormous cost of its expansion with the need to deliver sustained profits. The planned Louisiana Starbase represents one of the company’s biggest commitments yet, with construction expected to begin in 2027 and launch operations scheduled to follow two years later.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul held an urgent security meeting after a wave of coordinated attacks struck three southern provinces where a long-running Muslim insurgency remains active.

The meeting took place on Sunday before Anutin travelled to the northern province of Nan, which has been badly affected by flooding. Security officials briefed the prime minister on 51 incidents reported overnight in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

The violence involved small explosions, arson and damage to property. Three civilians were injured and were recovering on Sunday, while there were no immediate reports of clashes between attackers and security forces.

One of the most prominent targets was a 7-Eleven convenience store in Pattani. Video shared on social media appeared to show armed men outside the store as customers and employees fled before the building was set on fire.

In Narathiwat, a bomb damaged railway tracks, forcing authorities to suspend both local and long-distance train services. Officials had not announced when services would resume, citing security concerns.

No organisation immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, and authorities had not publicly identified a suspect.

However, security analysts generally associate major coordinated attacks in the region with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani, commonly known as BRN. The group is the largest insurgent organisation operating in Thailand’s deep south and has been involved in intermittent peace negotiations with the government.

Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala are the only provinces in Thailand where Muslims form a majority of the population. The BRN has sought greater self-rule for the region, while many local Muslim residents have complained about discrimination and unequal treatment.

The insurgency has deep historical roots, but violence increased sharply in 2004 following a series of confrontations and a government crackdown. Thousands of people have since been killed.

According to Deep South Watch, a research organisation based at Prince of Songkla University in Pattani, 7,837 people have died in violence across the region during the past 22 years.

The latest attacks followed a serious incident in July, when about 10 attackers opened fire and threw pipe bombs at a security checkpoint in Narathiwat. Five paramilitary soldiers were killed and six civilians were wounded, including a 10-year-old boy.

Security analyst Don Pathan said the latest attacks could be intended to demonstrate the insurgents’ capabilities while peace discussions continue.

He said the attackers appeared less focused on causing large numbers of deaths and more interested in sending a message to the government about their ability to disrupt security and daily life across the southern provinces.