SpaceX to begin Starpipe construction for Starship fuel

SpaceX is set to begin construction next month on a 13-kilometer natural gas pipeline to its Starbase launch facility in Texas, a major infrastructure project aimed at dramatically increasing the launch rate of its Starship rocket. The pipeline, named Starpipe, is expected to be operational by January 2027 and will replace the current method of fueling Starship with hundreds of tanker truck deliveries of liquid methane.

The move is central to SpaceX's strategy of controlling its supply chain to support ambitious expansion goals. Starship, a fully reusable rocket standing approximately 40 stories tall, consumes about 2.4 million liters of liquid methane per launch. The current truck-based delivery process takes several hours, creating a bottleneck for the rapid launch cadence envisioned by founder Elon Musk. The company has conducted 12 test launches since 2023 and aims to scale up to dozens, hundreds, and eventually thousands of launches annually.

According to filings with the Texas Railroad Commission by a SpaceX affiliate, Starpipe will terminate at the company's Starbase facility. Engineering plans filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicate SpaceX intends to build...