SpaceX

Filings seen by Reuters and Rio Grande Valley Business Journal reportedly reveal that SpaceX is set to begin building a natural gas pipeline in Texas, stretching eight miles from a starting site at the Port of Brownsville to the company's Starbase. Construction on the pipeline will begin next month, and it's expected to be finished and running by January 26, Reuters reports.

The 16-inch pipeline will carry natural gas directly to Starbase so it can be processed there into liquid methane for Starship. According to Reuters, the company filed engineering plans last summer with the US Corps of Engineers to build a liquefaction facility on site. SpaceX is currently approved by the FAA for up to 25 launches a year, though it's only launched Starship 12 times to date since its maiden flight in April 2023. Each launch requires about 630,000 gallons of liquid methane, transported by hundreds of tanker trucks.

The potential construction of a new pipeline raises fresh environmental concerns for the area around Starbase, which includes sensitive wetland habitats. Reuters reports that land records show SpaceX has explored drilling near the site and other parts of Texas.