Science

SpaceX to build its Starship in Texas... for now

Elon Musk's company has cancelled its long-term plans to assemble its biggest rockets at the Port of Los Angeles.

Eric Mack Contributing Editor

Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.

Expertise Solar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects, and CNET's "Living off the Grid" series Credentials

Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

See full bio

Eric Mack

Jan. 17, 2019 6:39 p.m. PT

2 min read

For now, SpaceX will be assembling and testing its Starship prototype in Texas rather than California.

CBS Los Angeles reports that the rocket company helmed by Elon Musk has canceled a lease with the Port of Los Angeles.

SpaceX was planning to build a new facility to construct its huge new vehicle designed to take people to the moon, Mars or even deeper into the solar system.

"To streamline operations, SpaceX is developing and will test the Starship test vehicle at our site in south Texas," reads an emailed statement from the company. "This decision does not impact our current manufacture, design, and launch operations in Hawthorne and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Additionally, SpaceX will continue recovery operations of our reusable Falcon rockets and Dragon spacecraft at the Port of Los Angeles."

SpaceX and Musk have recently been showing off the development of the Starship "hopper" prototype in Texas that is set to begin short test flights this year. Musk explained via Twitter that the prototypes are being built in Texas where SpaceX has a launch site because "their size makes them very difficult to transport."

The source info is incorrect. Starship & Raptor development is being done out of our HQ in Hawthorne, CA. We are building the Starship prototypes locally at our launch site in Texas, as their size makes them very difficult to transport.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2019

The lease with the Port of Los Angeles would have allowed SpaceX to build a manufacturing facility on a 19-acre parcel on the historic Terminal Island. The plan was for the huge assembled rockets to be then transported via barge and the Panama Canal to Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Los Angeles city councilman Joe Buscaino tweeted that he was "crushed" Musk's company will no longer be expanding its presence at the port.

While I feel crushed about #SpaceX pulling the #SuperHeavy out of the @PortofLA, I feel confident that other innovators will see the huge value they get in San Pedro. (1/2)
— Joe Buscaino (@JoeBuscaino) January 16, 2019

The streamlining move also comes shortly after the company, based in the Los Angeles area, announced it would be laying off about 10 percent of its employees to "become a leaner company."