SpaceX · Boca Chica, Texas, United States
Launch Pads
1 (Orbital Launch Mount A); second pad under constructionas of [1]Annual Launches
6–8 IFTs (2025 rate target)as of [2]IFT-1 through IFT-7 conducted 2023–2025; production cadence increasingMax Payload (LEO)
100,000+ kg to LEO (Starship target, fully reusable)as of [1]150,000 kg expendable; fully reusable figure TBC pending HLS missionsEstablished
2014
Starbase is SpaceX's privately owned launch facility at the southern tip of Texas, purpose-built for the development and launch of the Starship super heavy-lift vehicle. The site includes manufacturing facilities, test stands, and an orbital launch mount. It represents the future of SpaceX's Mars colonization ambitions.
| Region | North America |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Coordinates | 25.9972° N, -97.1561° E |
| Ownership | Private |
| Parent Entity | Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) |
| Regulatory Regime | FAA-AST Part 450 vehicle operator license + site-specific Environmental Assessment / PEA |
| Latitude Advantage | 26.0°N — slightly better easterly boost than Florida; Gulf of Mexico azimuth window is narrow but adequate for LEO/lunar trajectories. |
| Azimuth Range | 93°–110° (constrained eastward over Gulf; trans-lunar injections viable) |
| Human Spaceflight | Planned crewed capability |
| Employees | ~3,400 on-site (SpaceX Starbase headcount per 2024 disclosures) |
| Website | https://www.spacex.com/launches/ |
Anchor Tenants
Active Users
Strategic Value
World's only operational super-heavy-lift development site, vertically integrated from raw stainless to orbit. The single most important physical asset in SpaceX's Mars strategy and the only site cleared for full-stack Starship operations through 2026.
Recent Activity
Starship IFT campaign continuing in 2026 with v2 and v3 vehicle iterations; mechazilla booster catches now operationally repeatable; Roberts Road (KSC) Starship tower under construction as second site.
2026
First Starship orbital refueling demonstration
2026
First commercial Starship payload deployment (Starlink V3 batches)
2027
HLS Starship uncrewed lunar landing demo (NASA Artemis contract)