The Port of Los Angeles has granted SpaceX approval to build its Starship. Representatives of SpaceX told LA’s City Councilman, Joe Buscaino’s office that they were interested in the port site because it needed the additional manufacturing capacity for its Starship spaceship and rocket booster.
Even though Starship wasn’t mentioned by name, a SpaceX rep at last week’s harbor commissioners meeting said that SpaceX would use the port site to further its goal of creating an interplanetary society–one that includes Mars.
SpaceX will use this site for engineering, research, development and manufacturing work on Starship. “It’s crazy that here we are in 2020 preparing ourselves to send people to Mars, and it’s going to happen in our own backyard in San Pedro,” said Buscaino. He added that “We are becoming a spaceport,”
Another great thing about this project is that SpaceX will create more jobs–130 jobs according to documents from the Port of L.A. SpaceX will also pay an annual rent of $1.7 million and could qualify for rent credits if it improves the property. The City Council approved the permit with a unanimous vote (12-0).