SpaceX’s Bastrop Factory Balloons East of Austin

Dirt is flying again in Bastrop County, where Elon Musk’s empire keeps stretching along the Colorado River.

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, better known as SpaceX, is in the midst of another major expansion of its factory on the north side of Farm to Market Road 1209, about 30 miles east of Austin. The facility already spans roughly 1.1 million square feet, according to the Austin Business Journal. With the latest buildout, it could swell to about 1.6 million square feet, putting it among the largest buildings in the region.

In mid-February, crews were clearing large swaths of land on both sides of the existing plant while launching vertical construction nearby. Bastrop County officials are reviewing permits tied to “Project Echo Solar Warehouse,” a name previously used for SpaceX development. Plans are still being configured, the outlet reported, including final square footage, but the company has secured approvals for stormwater drainage improvements to accommodate the expansion.

At the opposite end of the complex, a 50,000-square-foot parking garage that could hold more than 250 vehicles is rising quickly. County officials said permits have been issued for most components except the garage itself.

The push builds on a $280 million expansion outlined last year and supported by a $17.3 million grant from Gov. Greg Abbott through the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund. The funding is earmarked for a semiconductor research and advanced packaging facility expected to create more than 400 jobs. SpaceX’s Bastrop site produces Starlink kits and related hardware and is believed to employ at least 1,000 workers, according to the publication. State officials have said the expansion would house the largest printed circuit board and panel-level packaging facility in North America.

Should the complex hit the 1.6 million-square-foot mark, it would be comparable in size to Musk’s Tesla gigafactory in eastern Travis County and Samsung’s massive chip plants in Austin and Taylor.

The SpaceX buildout is just one piece of Musk-linked activity in Bastrop County, where affiliates tied to The Boring Company, X and other ventures now control nearly 700 acres, the outlet reported. The land hosts offices, housing, a school and the so-called Snailbrook neighborhood, with more homes rising near the Boring Bodega site.

The rapid growth has drawn scrutiny over traffic, wastewater and environmental impacts, including fines from state regulators.

— Eric Weilbacher