Will SpaceX Build Its BFR At The Port Of LA?
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — SpaceX could be making plans for expansion in the South Bay, according to a new report.
Curbed Los Angeles cites a study of the proposed site commissioned on behalf of WW Marine Composites, LLC prepared by Los Angeles City Harbor Department, suggesting executives at the space giant have eyes on building a new 203,450-square-foot manufacturing facility on Terminal Island.
The site would be "used to develop and manufacture prototypes and first-generation vessels and develop the manufacturing processes" and "accommodate recovery operations undertaken by Space Exploration Technologies to bring to shore vehicles returning from space that are retrieved by an autonomous drone ship offshore," according to the proposal. It indicates as many as 750 jobs could be brought to the area.
Rumors swirled after the study was posted on Reddit the Port of L.A. could serve as the manufacturing site for the company's Big Falcon Rockets, or BFRs — described by SpaceX as a single system comprised of one booster and one ship intended to replace the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Dragon with the mission of heading to Mars.
A company spokesperson declined to confirm but told Curbed it is "in preliminary discussions with the Port of L.A. about the potential of leasing additional land for operations."
SpaceX has headquarters in Hawthorne, located 20 miles north, and currently leases at the Port.