SpaceX is expanding its factory in Bastrop County, about 30 miles east of Austin. The facility, located on the north side of Farm to Market Road 1209, currently covers approximately 1.1 million square feet. With ongoing construction, it could reach around 1.6 million square feet, making it one of the largest buildings in the area.
In February, construction crews began clearing land on both sides of the existing plant and started new vertical construction nearby. Bastrop County officials are reviewing permits for a project named “Project Echo Solar Warehouse,” which has previously been used as a code name for SpaceX developments. While plans are still being finalized, SpaceX has received approvals for stormwater drainage improvements needed for the expansion.
A new parking garage with space for more than 250 vehicles is also under construction at one end of the complex. Permits have been issued for most parts of this phase except for the garage itself.
This expansion follows a $280 million investment announced last year and includes support from a $17.3 million grant provided by Governor Greg Abbott through the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund. The grant is intended to help build a semiconductor research and advanced packaging facility that state officials expect will create over 400 jobs at the site. Currently, SpaceX’s Bastrop location manufactures Starlink kits and related hardware and employs at least 1,000 workers according to local reports. Officials say this latest development would result in North America’s largest printed circuit board and panel-level packaging facility.
If completed as planned, reaching up to 1.6 million square feet would make SpaceX’s Bastrop complex similar in size to other major regional facilities such as Tesla’s gigafactory in eastern Travis County and Samsung’s chip plants in Austin and Taylor.
The growth at SpaceX is part of broader activity by Elon Musk-linked companies in Bastrop County; affiliates connected to ventures like The Boring Company and X now control nearly 700 acres locally where they have established offices, housing units, educational facilities, and neighborhoods including Snailbrook.
Rapid development has led to increased attention regarding traffic congestion, wastewater management issues, environmental impacts, and regulatory fines from state agencies.
