SpaceX will start production of the Big Falcon Rocket in the Port of Los Angeles, according to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. The mayor confirmed the company’s plans with a tweet regarding his “State of the City” address.
The Port of L.A. And SpaceX entered into preliminary negotiations on a lease agreement for the space last month. The move expands the company’s existing Hawthorne operations at the port. At the time of the initial negotiations, neither SpaceX nor city officials would confirm what would be built at the site, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Officially announcing that @SpaceX will start production development of the Big Falcon Rocket 🚀 in the @PortofLA!
This vehicle holds the promise of taking humanity deeper into the cosmos than ever before. #SOTC2018pic.twitter.com/2TtGy9NERX
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) April 16, 2018
The Big Falcon rocket is a reusable spaceship and booster that are expected to be over 340 feet tall when stacked together. The vessel is a key component in the company’s plans to colonize Mars.
This weekend Musk also announced plans to land one of SpaceX’s smaller Falcon 9 rockets using a ‘giant party balloon’ and a ‘bouncy house.’