SpaceX reportedly plans to build natural gas pipeline in Texas
SpaceX intends to construct an 8-mile natural gas pipeline from the Port of Brownsville to its Starbase facility to fuel Starship rockets. The project raises environmental concerns for nearby wetlands.
SpaceX is reportedly planning to build a natural gas pipeline in Texas, according to filings seen by Reuters and the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. The pipeline, stretching approximately eight miles (13 kilometers) from the Port of Brownsville to the company's Starbase, will be 16 inches in diameter. Construction is set to begin next month, with completion expected by January 26.
The pipeline will deliver natural gas directly to Starbase, where it will be processed into liquid methane for use in Starship rockets. SpaceX currently has FAA approval for up to 25 launches per year, but has conducted only 12 launches since Starship's maiden flight in April 2023. Each launch requires about 630,000 gallons (2.4 million liters) of liquid methane, which is currently transported by hundreds of tanker trucks.
The proposed pipeline has raised environmental concerns due to its proximity to sensitive wetland habitats near Starbase. According to Reuters, land records indicate that SpaceX has also explored drilling for natural gas near the site and elsewhere in Texas to secure fuel supplies.
