SpaceX back in Port of LA’s orbit

Elon Musk and the Port of Los Angeles are giving it another shot.

After Musk’s SpaceX aborted a deal last year to build its Mars-bound spaceship and rocket at the port and moved the work to Texas, the company is negotiating a new deal to lease a piece of land at Terminal Island for the project.

The L.A. Board of Harbor Commissioners voted Thursday to approve SpaceX’s permit to lease the property and build aerospace facilities on it, the Los Angeles Times reported. The deal is pending approval from the City Council.

“I’m really excited to see what SpaceX will be able to bring for the future of not only space exploration and technology in Los Angeles, but also to the Port of Los Angeles,” Jaime Lee, president of the board, said before the vote, according to the Times.

The initial, 10-year permit is for a 12.5-acre parcel at the former Southwest Marine site at Terminal Island, with an option to boost the size to 19 acres.

SpaceX is headquartered in the L.A. suburb of Hawthorne. Musk’s other company, Tesla, is headquartered in Palo Alto. Musk shuttles between both locations and has amassed a pricey real estate portfolio in the region, including a quartet of mansions in Bel Air. [LAT] — TRD Staff