The 8-mile pipeline will bring fuel for the starships to the company’s starbase.
The filing was seen by reuters And Rio Grande Valley Business Journal SpaceX is reportedly set to begin construction of a natural gas pipeline in Texas, extending eight miles from the starting site at the Port of Brownsville to the company’s Starbase. Construction on the pipeline will begin next month, and it is expected to be completed and operational by January 26. reuters Report.
The 16-inch pipeline will carry natural gas directly to the starbase so it can be processed there into liquid methane for the starship. according to reutersThe company filed engineering plans with the U.S. Corps of Engineers last summer to build a liquefaction facility at the site. SpaceX is currently approved by the FAA for 25 launches a year, although it has launched Starship only 12 times so far since its first flight in April 2023. Each launch requires approximately 630,000 gallons of liquid methane, which is transported by hundreds of tanker trucks.
The potential construction of the new pipeline raises new environmental concerns for the area surrounding the starbase, including sensitive wetland habitats. reuters Reports show that land records show SpaceX has explored drilling near the site and in other parts of Texas.
<a href