How SpaceX wants to fuel Starship’s next phase with a Texas pipeline

Space X is beginning to lay the groundwork for an accelerated launch schedule for its Starship spacecraft. The company will begin building a pipeline next month to bring natural gas to its Starbase complex, where it can be processed and converted into liquid methane to fuel the reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle. Ultimately, that could help the company meet its goal of as many as 25 launches per year, and perhaps allow it to exceed that number. At present, fuel for the rocket has to be transported to the Starbase complex, a process that is both time-consuming and expensive. By running the eight-mile pipeline to the spaceport, SpaceX could lower expenses over the long run and speed up its launch cadence. This may only be a temporary fix. Gwynne Shotwell, president of the rocket company, told CNBC earlier this month that SpaceX was considering drilling its own natural gas in the future. While challenging, that could further lower costs if successful. SpaceX did not reply to a request for comment about the pipeline. The basis for this new supply system began last August, when SpaceX filed engineering plans with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announcing its intention to build a liquefaction facility at Starbase to create the liquid methane required to send its rockets into space. SpaceX has signed more than 100 oil and gas leases with property owners in Texas over the past three years. Starpipe, as the pipeline is being called, will reportedly originate on an 83-acre piece of land at the Port of Brownsville, which Reuters says SpaceX plans to lease from the city for 50 years. While transporting natural gas to a processing plant at the base of its operations makes clear fiscal sense, some residents are concerned about potential environmental impacts. The area around Starbase includes sensitive wetland habitats. This would not be the first time the company has faced those concerns. In 2023, the mid-air explosion of a SpaceX Starship Super Heavy launch spread debris